Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The snow fell heavily outside the windows at High Dale Secondary School, creating a white curtain across the land. On the third floor, in a classroom at the end of the hall, the students in Mr. Whitehall’s Grade 12 English class appeared incredibly bored, their teacher doing nothing to quell that irritating feeling. In fact, Mr. Whitehall seemed equally as bored as his students. It was the day before the Christmas holidays, which meant that school was finished as of lunchtime. The problem was that this year, the school board had decided to try and cram all four classes into the time slot of two periods, making none of the classes long enough to actually teach anything.

Near the back of the classroom, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl in a bright red sweater and flared blue jeans kept tapping her pen to a beat only she could hear in her head. Every now and then she would glance at the clock, sigh in disdain, and go back to tapping her pen.

Still another ten minutes to go. It always seemed as if the last ten minutes of class before school let out for the holidays dragged on forever.

Tap tap… tap tap… Another glance out the window. The snow was swirling and rushing past, creating a white fog outside.

After what seemed like another several hours, the bell finally rang. In an instant the whole class had leapt from their seats and bolted for the door, trying to squeeze through it in one giant cluster.

The teacher was shouting something about remembering a holiday assignment, but of course no one was listening. Everyone just wanted to get out of the room.

Once out in the hallway, the blonde-haired girl moved as quickly as she could through the crowd of people towards her locker by the main stairwell.

"Hey Molly! Are you going to the talent show?" a brown-haired girl called out, pushing through to the locker beside the blonde.

Molly smiled and shook her head. "Nah… I've got some Christmas shopping to finish up. Wanna get to the mall before the crowds hit."

The brown-haired girl pouted. "But then I'll have no-one to go with!"

"Don't be silly, Sam…you've got all of our other friends going!" Molly replied with an eye roll.

"Yes," Sam agreed, "however, none of our friends understand the true art of sarcasm, nor do they enjoy mocking the acts in the same way that you do."

Molly snorted. "Not true, Maddy likes to do that to."

Sam stared at her, a deadpan expression. "Ha ha. You know as well as I do that Maddy couldn't be funny if her life depended on it. Just pllleeeeaaasssseeee come!" She begged her friend, tugging on Molly's sleeve.

"Sorry, Sam. But trust me, you'll have fun."

She shoved her books in her locker and pulled out her coat. "Hey, Merry Christmas."

After giving her friend a quick hug, she zipped up the coat, pulled out her other winter gear, and locked the locker. Flashing one final grin at her dejected looking friend, Molly took off into the stairwell and out the door.

Outside, the snow was falling heavily, adding to the already knee-deep piles on the ground.

Molly giggled, and began spinning around and jumping, ignoring the estranged looks from the kids smoking out front of the school. Christmas had always been her favourite time of year, and the snow added to the magic that the season sent tingling through her. Although the walk in the snow wasn't looking too appealing, Molly decided instead to focus on only the positives. It was less than a week until Christmas, and after she finished her shopping, she would be spending the evening in fuzzy pajamas and slippers, in front of the fireplace, watching her favourite Christmas movies.

With a bounce and a skip, she began her journey downtown.

"Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock!" she sang as she trudged through the snowbanks and down the side of the road through the industrial district. She paused when she reached the railroad tracks and contemplated whether the hike downtown would be faster by taking the abandoned tracks or sticking to the road.

Continuing to hum, she glanced around, and then decided to go through the tracks.

She trudged on, singing Christmas songs, and daydreaming about anything she could think of, not paying attention to her surroundings.

It wasn't until her third round of 'Rudolph' that she paused and realized that she could not tell where she was at all. Everything was white, snow was swirling, and the railroad tracks had disappeared beneath the snow.

In fact, as far as Molly could tell, there was absolutely nothing around her but snow, which was of course, completely illogical.

"HELLO?!" She called. "ANYONE AROUND?"

The temperature seemed to be dropping rather quickly, and though it was only mid-afternoon, it was getting exceptionally dark.

Molly had no idea where she was and wasn't exactly sure what to do. She knew that wandering around could be dangerous, but at the same time, if she stayed exactly where she was, she would freeze to death.

She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself.

"If only life were like the movies… the elves from Santa Claus: The Movie, would come out, find me here, and show me their wonderful world," she sighed wistfully.

As it got dark around her, she decided to do the brave thing and start trudging forward. The cold was starting to seep through her clothes and she swore as her feet began to numb. Her body began to shake and breathing was becoming harder and harder. Still, she pushed forward, knowing she had to come across one of the restaurants or shops soon. Her town wasn’t that big, and it hardly made sense that after thirty minutes of walking, she still hadn’t found her way to one. Dizziness started to set in, her legs beginning to feel as though weights had been tied to them. She made it a few more steps then tripped and stumbled. Her face hit the snow and everything went black.

Chapter Text

As Molly slowly began to regain consciousness, the first thing she became aware of was the faint sound of Christmas music in the background. The next, was two male voices, talking hushed above her.

"She's waking up," the one voice said, sounding oddly familiar.

Molly groaned, and opened her eyes, sitting up slowly as her fuzzy vision cleared. Her head felt as if someone had taken a sledgehammer to it.

She blinked her eyes closed tightly.

"Are you okay?" the familiar voice asked her.

"I think so," she muttered, then opened her eyes again.

As her gaze landed on the man with the familiar voice, she began immediately to doubt her own sanity. Curly, black hair, a green beret, and pointy ears. She blinked again, mouth dropping open in surprise. There, in front of her, was Bernard from The Santa Clause.

"Yes, I am an elf," Bernard said slowly, glancing over at the other male in the room. Apparently, he thought she was merely in shock about an elf.

She glanced over at the other male, who turned out to be none other than the red-haired Dr. Hismus. She looked back at Bernard, who was watching her cautiously, waiting for a reaction.

"Duhh," was all she could manage to say. She pinched herself in the arm to make sure this wasn't a dream. The pain was real… and she didn't wake up. So that possibility was out of the question.

The next possibility that crossed her mind terrified her to no end. It was the only semi-logical solution she could think of. She had somehow managed to become trapped in the body of a perfect, gorgeous OC in someone else’s high school obsession Fanfic.

She waited a moment for some strange force to make her start screaming and going ga-ga over Bernard. Not that she didn't find him highly attractive, but that kind of childish behaviour had been long past her.

When the screaming didn't come, she glanced down at her body, half-expecting to see it now some perfectly shaped into a model-esque phsyique.

Nope. It was still her slightly plump, disproportioned figure. She reached up and touched her hair… shuddering at how messy it felt. Whatever had happened to her, probably left her looking like she had been hit in the face with a train… twice.

So if it wasn't a dream, and she hadn't been transported into some scary Fanfic trapped in someone else’s body, there was only two possible explanations: either she was really there, or she had completely lost her grip on reality.

Clearing her throat, she looked once again at Bernard, who was staring at her as if the latter theory she had just considered were true.

"Yes, I am quite aware you are an elf," she said, trying not to let the excitement she could feel burst through in her voice. She was after all, nearly an adult now. "I was more shocked at the fact that you were Bernard."

Now it was Bernard's turn to look confused. He glanced over at Dr. Hismus, who looked concerned.

Of course they look concerned, she told herself, my knowing this would be putting the S.O.S. in trouble.

"How exactly do you know that?" Bernard asked.

"It's a long story," Molly replied, trying to brush the knots out of her hair with her fingers. Doing things like that helped her to keep up a calm appearance, even though inside she was anything but calm.

She shivered, realizing that she was still actually quite cold.

Bernard sighed. "Alright, that you can explain after we get you warmed up." He motioned to Dr. Hismus, who passed him a small, brown blanket, then wrapped it over Molly shoulders. "On our way to get you warm, you can explain to me how you managed to get to Elfsburg, given that it's completely unlocatable by humans."

Molly hopped off the table, a little disappointed to discover that Bernard, an Elf, was actually slightly taller than her. She wasn't a fan of being reminded of her height deficiency.

Bernard, however, seemed unfazed by the fact that a human was shorter than him. She wondered if he was even aware that she wasn't a child. She chided herself for that thought immediately after, reminding herself that Bernard was an elf, not an idiot.

"Uhm.. that kind of fits into the long story," she replied sheepishly.

Bernard rolled his eyes. "Of course it does." He nodded his thanks to the doctor, then walked out of the tiny hospital room with Molly following close behind.

As they stepped out the door, Molly couldn't help but stop and marvel at the world that was meeting her eyes. The movies had made Santa's workshop look amazing, but even their sets failed in comparison to the real thing. She had never seen colours so bright or smelled air so fresh, especially indoors.

"Wooowwwwwwww," she gushed, clasping her hands together and holding them over her chest.

Elves hustled and bustled in every direction, loading wrapped presents onto trolleys and taking unwrapped presents out the door, probably towards the wrapping department. There were toys everywhere and all the elves had smiles on their young, childlike faces.

"I don't mean to be rude," Bernard interrupted Molly' gaze of amazement, "But it is Christmas Eve, and I'm a little short on time."

"Sorry," Molly flushed, looking at the ground. She walked over to Bernard, and continued beside him, following the elf out of the main room in the factory and into a big hall lined with doorways.

The hallway looked like it belonged in a kids’ ultimate playground; its walls and pillars brilliant golds and reds.

They took a left at the end of the hallway and passed by the giant ballroom. Molly eyed it with curiousity as she passed by. She had always wanted to go in there.

When they reached the door labeled 'Kitchen' Bernard turned and opened it for Molly. She thanked him, a little surprised that Elves had that kind of chivalry in them. Unless it was just Bernard. Either way, she wasn't used to any man holding doors open for her.

The kitchen was fairly empty; most of the goodies had already been baked, and the counters had been cleaned until they were spotless.

Bernard cleared his throat,and the few elves that remained looked at him, nodded, and scattered from the room.

It was a BIG room, and Molly suddenly felt very… nervous at being alone with him in it. It wasn't that he was scary or anything, after all, he was Bernard. It was more that she didn't actually KNOW Bernard, save for what the movies showed of him. What if he was secretly a serial killer? Or a sorcerer?

She shook the thoughts from her head and allowed Bernard to show her to the table. She took a seat and waited silently as he walked over to the Cappuccino machine, made her a drink, then himself one.

He sat the steaming mug down in front of her, then took a seat across from her. Ignoring his impatient stare, Molly thrust her cold hands around the mug, smiling in contentment as the heat from it warmed her fingers.

"So… the long story?" Bernard urged.

Molly nodded, and contemplated for a moment how she would explain something she wasn't entirely sure of. Then, taking a deep breath, she dove into her tale.

Bernard said nothing through the whole story, and as she finished, he simply stared, expressionless.

"You expect me to believe that you're from an alternate universe, where I'm a character in a movie, and you just kind of appeared here?"

Molly nodded slowly. "Not really much else I can tell you. Like I said, I only know what I know."

Bernard snorted. "You really think us elves are idiots, don't you? I'm not dumb enough to believe a tale like that."

Molly' eyes widened and she looked at the head elf completely dumbfounded. "I'm telling the truth!" she defended.

"Yeah, right."

"I'll prove it to you!" Molly wasn't entirely sure if what she had would count as proof, but she was going to give it a shot anyway.

"Oh yeah? How?" Bernard asked.

"The current Santa Clause… is a man named Scott Calvin, right?"

Bernard stared at her blankly. "Who?"

"Scott Calvin… you know, has a son named Charlie… became Santa when the Santa before him fell off his roof… or are we onto the next Santa already?"

Bernard continued to stare at her blankly. "There has never been a Scott Calvin as Santa. I don't even know a Scott Calvin. Our current Santa has been in the position for the last two hundred years."

Now it was Molly' turn to stare blankly. "Say what now?"

"There. Is. No. Scott. Calvin."

Molly blinked. This couldn't be. Even if there was an alternate universe, it couldn't be that Scott Calvin had never existed as Santa Claus, could it? Unless…

"What year is it?"

Another eye roll. "What, now you have amnesia?"

"No." Apparently, Bernard was a little bit snarkier in person than in the movie.

"I just need you to tell me what year it is," she said slowly. It was the only plausible option she could think of.

"1994," Bernard replied, staring at her as if she had a third head.

Molly blinked. This was the very Christmas Eve that Scott would become Santa… which meant, she wasn't just in the alternate universe… she was now in the timeline of the movie.

"Great…. This could totally screw everything up," she muttered.

Bernard raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Alright, I have your proof for you." She ignored his question about her mutterings. That would be explained soon enough anyway. "I'm 18 years old, on my victory lap of high school… and where I'm from. It's the year 2004."

"Are you sure you don't need… another kind of help?" he inquired.

Molly glared at him. "If you don't believe me, check my wallet. It was in my coat pocket, which I'm assuming you have somewhere." He nodded, confirming they had the coat. "Pull out my driver's license. It's an Ontario license, and it was issues in 2002. My birth date will also be on it… and it will say I was born in 1986. Now, if that's my birth date, and I'm 18, you do the math."

They glared at each other in silence a moment, before the clock struck eleven, interrupting their staring contest.

Bernard grunted. "I have to go. I will send Judy to take you to a temporary room. When Santa gets back, we're all going to sit down and sort this out. Until then… pardon my sounding like a parent here, but stay in your room."

Without another word, Bernard turned on his heel, and took off out the door.

Molly let out an exasperated sigh and took a sip of her drink. Much to her displeasure, it was not cappuccino at all, but rather, hot chocolate. Then again, she realized, she should have expected that. She pushed the mug away from herself and contemplated banging her head off the table.

This was fantastic, just fantastic. She was in a place she had dreamed of being for years, and rather than falling madly in love with Bernard, or having a blast riding the reindeer, she was instead, ordered to room arrest under suspicions of lying about her identity. What a fantastic start to the holidays.

She looked up as Judy walked through the doors, smiling pleasantly as she always did in the movie.

"Molly?" she asked, although she obviously already knew who the girl was.

Molly nodded. "Judy?"

Judy nodded back and smiled. "If you'll follow me, I'll show you to your room." Her smile faded slightly as she noticed the steaming mug of hot chocolate that had been shoved away. "Is something wrong with the hot chocolate?" she asked, sounding worried.

Molly had a feeling that the machine was partially Judy's creation, or at least, the machine which dispensed Judy's famous hot chocolate recipe.

"No no, nothing's wrong with it," Molly replied quickly. "It's just that, well… I don't like chocolate."

Judy stared at her and blinked. "Really?"

"Uhm, yeah."

"Hmm, well… that's different." She shrugged, then motioned for Molly to follow her. They made their way back out into the hallway, and over to the train track. Judy climbed aboard, and Molly followed, feeling a little out of place on the small train.

"I apologize if Bernard was short with you at all," Judy said as the train wove in and out of the workshop. "Christmas Eve is always stressful for him, especially when its time to see Santa off."

"I understand," Molly said, not adding that she just figured Bernard must have a jerky streak.

"He's really usually very nice and understanding." The small elf smiled warmly at Molly.

When the train arrived at the sleeping quarters, Judy led her past the first few doors, one of which, Molly recognized as belonging to Santa.

They continued past a few more doors, most of which had names on them. Bernard, Curtis, Quinton, Judy, Dr. Hismus… the list of names that Molly recognized from the movie went on, until they reached the end of the hall, where the last door was labeled 'Guest'.

Molly was a little surprised to see they all lived in the same hall as Santa. "So, you all live right here in the workshop with Santa?"

Judy laughed. "Don't be silly. Those rooms are just there for Christmas Eve, and the week leading up to Christmas. Just in case we need to crash for a little while, or don't have time to go home for the night. We all live down in Elfsburg."

She let Molly into the room, which was much plainer than Molly had expected. She had half hoped it would be as highly decorated as Santa's room, but then again, she rationalized, there was no real reason for a guest room to have that much décor.

The bed looked comfortable enough, and there was a pair of bright red, flannel pyjamas waiting for her. On the nightstand beside the bed, was a big, red button, and beside it, a pad of paper and a pencil.

"If you need anything, just hit the button. It's a direct line to me. If I'm not available, I'll send another elf to see you."

"So I'm a prisoner of the North Pole?" Molly grimaced.

Judy laughed musically and shook her head. "Not at all! Despite what Bernard has ordered, I will do my best to make you as comfortable as possible. Remember, he's just being a jerk because it's Christmas Eve. I promise tomorrow will be better. You might want to get some sleep though; Bernard will probably call you first thing in the morning."

"Thanks, Judy," Molly smiled. "You're a very sweet elf."

"Well, I have had nearly 1800 years to work on my people skills," she laughed. "Have a good night."

The elf nodded politely, then left the room, closing the door behind her.

"Well, I guess I might as well try to get some sleep," Molly muttered to herself, as she picked up the pj's. Moments later she crawled into the bed, pulled the covers up to her chin, and turned out the light.

Maybe this was still a dream, and when she woke up, she'd still be lying face first in the snow, probably frostbitten to death.

Chapter Text

Molly was woken in the middle of the night by someone pounding loudly on her door.

"Go away mom!" she yelled, rolling over and burying her face in her pillow.

The banging continued and she groaned and sat up, temporarily confused as to where she was. As everything came rushing back, Bernard came rushing through the door looking furious.

"What in the Name of CHRISTMAS did you do?!" he yelled, looking as if he would lunge over and strangle her at any moment.

Grumpy from the rude and startling awakening she had just received, Molly sniped back, "I have NO idea what in the blazes you are talking about. I've been asleep since Judy brought me to this room."

"Santa just 'fell' off the roof. Of a man named Scott Calvin. Who has a son named Charlie, who just HAPPENED TO PUT ON THE SANTA SUIT!" he roared.

"Ah yes, because clearly I have so much bloody power, that I can manifest this kind of thing in my sleep!" Molly yelled back, glaring at the angry elf.

The tension in the room was building faster than the temperature in an overloaded steam engine. Both occupants of the room were so busy glaring at each other that they had not noticed the small crowd of elves now gathered around the door to see what the big hullabaloo was all about.

"You tell me," Bernard retorted, crossing his arms. "Just a few hours ago, you were the one who predicted all this, and I can’t see any other logical explanation."

"Logical? We're in the middle of the BLOODY FREAKING NORTH POLE! You're an ELF for goodness' sake, and you're talking to me about LOGICAL?" She let out a frustrated growl and dropped her head into her hands. "Ugh. None of this is logical Bernard. Hell, where I'm from, the North Pole doesn't even exist! It's a mythical tale for children. You're a MOVIE character. So none of this is logical."

"Here we go again, with the whole movie excuse!" He snapped back. "Why do you keep trying to push it?"

"Because. It's. The. TRUTH! Did you even bother to go check out my driver's license like I told you?"

Bernard flushed, looking ashamed for just a moment. Before he could say anything else, they heard someone clearing their throat, and looked over to see Judy in the doorway, holding out a plastic card to Bernard.

"I thought you might want to see this," she said cheerfully to Bernard. As he looked over the card, Judy smiled at Molly and winked at her.

Molly mouthed out 'thank you' to the small elf, before returning her attention to Bernard.

Bernard's frowned, sighed in frustration, and then muttered something Molly couldn’t make out under his breath. Judging by the smirk that now played across Judy’s face, it probably wasn’t something very elf-like.

"Sorry…" he muttered, walking over and handing the card to Molly. "It appears you were telling the truth."

It was only then that Molly noticed there were a whole lot more elves than just Judy and Bernard at the door and that she was sitting on the bed in nothing more than sleepwear. Suddenly feeling very awkward, she pulled the blankets up to her chin.

"Uhm…can I have a couple minutes of privacy… to uhh… get properly attired?"

Bernard, realizing that he had barged in on Molly in her sleepwear, flushed slightly. "No need really… you can go back to sleep…"

Molly snorted. "You think I could fall back to sleep after that wakeup?"

Pausing, Bernard glanced back at Judy, who raised an eyebrow at him, then shrugged, leaving the head elf to make a call. "Well, if you insist, then you can at least make yourself useful. Meet me in the office in ten minutes. Judy will show you how to get there."

Without another word, Bernard hurried out the door, shooing the elves back to their own work as he went.

After he had disappeared out the door, Molly looked over at Judy. "Are you sure he's got a nice streak somewhere in there?"

Judy just laughed her musical laugh and winked. "I'll be just outside the door whenever you're ready."

The office was not the one exactly what she had expected. Molly had assumed that Bernard would be working in Santa's office, the one she was incredibly familiar with from the movies, but instead, she found Bernard waiting for her in a small room just off from the main stables.

Judy had left her after showing her to the office, and Bernard was pacing around inside the small room, muttering to himself.

"Bernard?" Molly asked quietly as she entered the room, alerting him to her presence. She didn't want to startle him and receive another mouthful from him.

He stopped his pacing and looked up, then motioned for her to take a seat in one of the two desk chairs present. She sat down in the one nearest to her while Bernard took the one behind the desk, and then rolled around in it so that he was beside her. He stared at her intently a moment before starting to look mildly sheepish.

"So listen," he looked away, beginning to fidget with his hands. "I have to apologize for my rude behaviour. It's just a very stressful time of year for me, and well… I may have a temper problem."

"Heh, you're telling me," she replied, looking away. She hated when people apologized. Things felt so awkward. She changed the subject quickly. "So what do you need my help with?"

"Well, I was hoping that you could tell me a bit about this Scott Calvin guy," Bernard admitted. It was evident he picked up on the purposeful topic change, but he didn't push, which made Molly feel a little more relaxed.

"I'm not telling you anything. There is no WAY I am risking screwing things up," Molly replied. "If I tell you about things, then it could change the entire course of events, and what's supposed to happen will be forever ruined."

Bernard looked thoughtful for a moment. "How do you know that what happens in your 'movies' is what's really supposed to happen though? If those are fiction, this is real… so what if what you being here is meant to be what REALLY happens?"

"Well then, my knowledge of the movies wouldn't really do much, would it? For all I know the Scott Calvin in 'my movies' could be the exact opposite of the one here."

Bernard made a 'hmph' sound and spun around to face a green navigational screen on the wall.

"Well. It appears he's almost back at the Pole. Wait here," he said, standing.

"I beg your pardon? I am not waiting here by myself."

Bernard raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were afraid of messing things up?"

Molly shrugged. "Hey, you said I might be wrong, so I'm gonna go with that option."

Bernard glanced down the hallway, looking a little worried, then back at the blonde-haired girl who was quickly becoming a bit of a thorn in his shoe. "Fine. You can come. But keep quiet and don't do anything stupid."

Molly snorted again. "Oh, I won't… I'll leave that for you to cover."

As they turned to head down the hall, Molly thought she saw a tiny smile itching at the corner of Bernard's lips. Her heart pounded a couple times, reminding her that despite Bernard's earlier rudeness, her crush on the elf remained.

"Uhm, Bernard?" she called after the elf.

"What now?"

"I'll be there in a minute… I uhm, need to go to the washroom."

Bernard rolled his eyes. "Fine, see you there."

After Bernard had disappeared down the hallway, Molly slipped back into the office for a minute and closed the door. Then she did something she hadn't done in a while. She began jumping up and down in circles squealing like a little girl.

"AHH! I'm IN the Santa Clause! I'm IN the Santa Clause! And Bernard is here and just as cute in person and EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

After about a minute of doing this, she stopped, cleared her throat, smoothed back out her sweater and hair, and walked calmly out of the office and down the hall as if nothing had happened.

Chapter Text

By the time Molly made it to the grand room, the sleigh was already being lowered in through the giant skylight. It had taken her nearly ten minutes to get there, having had to ask at least five different elves for directions.

The nice thing at least, was that she had beaten Bernard to the room, which meant he wouldn't know that she had gotten lost.

Despite knowing that this was a new Santa coming to the Pole for the first time, most of the elves did not seem to care too much. They continued on their way, smiling cheerfully, and only casting the odd curious glance towards the lowering platform.

"So, you finally made it," Bernard said from behind her, causing Molly to jump.

"Well, you didn’t exactly give me a map,” she replied, crossing her arms. “I got lost,” she admitted a moment later.

Bernard grinned and leaned against the wooden frame of the entranceway. "So, are you sure there isn't anything you want to tell me about this Santa?"

Molly hopped up to sit on the gate beside him and shook her head. "Not a thing."

Then, with the biggest of goofy, lopsided grins, she turned her gaze to the descending sleigh, ready for a front seat viewing of one of her favourite movies.

"Whoa, dad this is soo cool!" Charlie exclaimed from the sleigh, leaning over the edge and watching the elves.

Scott Calvin was looking around incredibly confused, with a hint of annoyance flashing in his eyes.

Molly fought back a giggle, causing Bernard to look at her with a raised eyebrow.

"You must have really liked the movie," he said.

"Yup!" she nodded vigorously. "It's my ultimate favourite Christmas movie."

The admission caused Bernard to give her a curious look, momentarily drawing his attention away from the man demanding to see a grownup. Molly hardly noticed his intense stare as she continued watching the scene with glee.

It wasn’t until an argument erupted between Scott and another elf that Bernard suddenly remembered he had a job to do. He sighed in frustration and stormed over to the two making a scene.

Bernard cleared his throat loudly to get their attention.

"Who's causing all the trouble here?" he demanded.

Both Scott and the elf immediately accused one another.

"Excuse me, are we on a coffee break here?" Bernard asked the elf, giving her a glare.

Molly didn’t need to remain watching; she knew the movie by heart and it wasn’t really that interesting a discussion. Instead, she found herself jumping back down from the gate and walking towards the sleigh. She knew she should follow her original plan of not getting involved, but didn’t feel right leaving the kid to wait around on someone else to talk to.

"Hey, I'm guessing you're Charlie?" she said as she approached the sleigh, smiling at the boy.

Charlie turned to her and nodded with a grin. "My dad's the new Santa, isn't he?" His eyes were wide and sparkling with childish delight, as he took in the sights and sounds around him.

"Yep, that he is. Pretty sweet huh?"

Charlie bobbed his head up and down. "Who are you? Are you one of the elves? Or Mrs. Claus?"

Molly crinkled her nose for a moment. She had at least ten years on the kid, but she didn’t look that old. "Neither. My name is Molly, and I'm a regular human, just like you."

"What are you doing at the North Pole then?"

"That's a bit of a long story…" she replied, realizing she was starting to sound a bit like a broken record. She reached down and took Charlie's hand. "Come on, let's go catch up with your dad. I still haven't seen the whole place yet, so we can look around together."

"Awesome!" he exclaimed, and before Molly could start moving, Charlie started to run after his father, dragging the teen behind him.

When they reached the head elf and new Santa, Bernard was ignoring Scott’s protests and demanding questions with an exasperation almost as intense as it had been with Molly the night before.

"Bernard, this is Charlie," Molly interrupted the one-sided argument, ignoring Scott's protests about his son staying in the sleigh. "Scott's son. Cute, isn't he?"

Charlie beamed, and Scott mimicked her mockingly.

"Heya sport," Bernard greeted with a grin.

Molly’s heart melted at the sight of the elf's familiar, goofy grin, the same grin that had left her smitten many Christmases over. Realizing she was staring, probably with a dopey look, she contemplated smacking herself in the forehead. This was no time for being a fan girl!

After the elf gave Charlie the snow globe, Molly left with him and Larry, despite Bernard's pleading glance for her to stay. She had taken one look at Scott, who was now standing arms crossed and staring grumpily at the workshop, and told him he was on his own.

Larry took them down the hall the same way Bernard had, and to the kitchen. "Hot cocoa alright?" he asked.

Charlie nodded. "Yes, please!"

Larry walked over to the cocoa dispenser and chuckled. "And Molly, what would you like? I heard through the rumour mill you're not a chocolate fan."

"Wow, news sure travels fast around here," she laughed. "Do you have coffee?"

Larry nodded. "You're in luck. Our late Santa made it mandatory to have coffee on stock. Something about it being a lifeline or something like that."

"I know EXACTLY what he means."

Charlie looked over at Molly, a look of surprise still on his face. "You really don't like chocolate?" His mouth dropped open.

"Nah… it's too sweet for me."

Charlie looked thoughtful. "Weeeiiirrrd."

"You're telling me," Larry said as he slid the hot chocolate in front of Charlie and passed Molly a steaming hot mug of coffee.

"Wow, that was quick." Molly was impressed. It didn't look like the elf had made her instant coffee. She smelled it. It sure didn't smell like instant coffee either. She sipped at it and immediately felt her shoulders relax, smiling as that familiar, dopamine inducing flavour, hit her lips. That was the stuff.

Larry flashed her a charming grin. "Actually… Judy had a feeling you'd be needing some coffee, so she put some on about twenty minutes ago."

As she watched Larry turn and dig through the fridge for something other than sweets for the boy, Molly couldn't help but realize that wrapping her mind around the fact these elves were hundreds of years older than her was proving to be a little difficult.

He returned a moment later with a plate of Christmas dinner. "Here you go, Charlie."

Charlie dug right into the steaming hot meal, while Molly examined it curiously from her seat. Larry had just pulled the plate out of the fridge, there was no way it had stayed that hot.

"Elf magic," Larry explained, reading the look of confusion on the girl's face.

"Nice. So no need for microwaves?"

"Never."

"Hmm. Impressive." She glanced at Charlie, who was shoveling the food down a bit too fast. "Whoa, slow down there buddy, you're going to make yourself sick."

Charlie smiled sheepishly. "Sorry." He took a couple more bites then shoved the plate away. "Thanks, Larry. Can we go see my dad now?"

Larry reached for the plate, but Molly held out her hand to stop him.

"I'll clean up in here, you go ahead and take Charlie back," she said with a smile.

Larry smiled back. "Thanks, you're a good kid."

Molly crunched her nose. Being called a kid by someone who looked much younger than her was weird. "Thanks… I think?"

Another cheerful laugh escaped from Larry. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it." He reached out and took Charlie's hand. "C'mon Charlie."

After they had left, Molly washed the mugs and the plate and fork, then placed them neatly on the counter. She couldn't find any dishtowels to dry them with, so hoped that the kitchen staff wouldn't be furious with the dishes being left to air dry.

The kitchen was beyond anything she could imagine, now that she was actually taking the time to look at it and take in all that was in it.

All the tables, chairs, counters and cupboards were hand made, with exquisite etchings from woodburning tools and other things to add some life to them.

She sighed and trailed her hand along the woodwork. It reminded her of when her dad used to do woodwork, back before his life became busy. She felt a pang of sadness at the thought of her family but shoved it to the back of her mind. Thinking about them would only depress her, and she wanted to enjoy this place.

The more she saw of the North Pole (which she admitted still wasn't very much at this point), the more she fell in love with it. In fact, she wouldn't mind living there, if there was a way to see her family every now and again.

She took one more look around the beautiful kitchen and headed back towards the workshop.

By the time she reached the workshop, Bernard and Scott were in the middle of yet another argument. It had all seemed to happen over a short period of time in the movie, and Molly had not anticipated just how drawn out it all would be. She walked towards them, amazed at how well the elves were pretending not to be eavesdropping on the argument that could probably be heard on the other side of Elfsburg.

"What if I don't buy into this whole Santa 'Clause' thing? What if I choose NOT to believe it?" Scott was finishing shouting.

A hush fell over the room. That was too horrible a statement for the elves to pretend like they weren't paying attention anymore. Bernard looked mortified and Charlie looked as though he was about to cry. Instinctively, Molly pulled Charlie over protectively, glaring at his father.

Molly pulled Charlie to her protectively as the boy looked like he might start to cry.

"Then there would be millions of disappointed children around the world." Bernard shook his head, saddened by the lack of faith Scott Calvin presented. "You see, children hold the spirit of Christmas within their hearts. You wouldn't want to be responsible for killing the spirit of Christmas, now, would you, Santa?"

Scott looked at the elf dumbfounded. He hadn't actually thought that far into it. For a moment, his demeanour softened, followed by an expression of defeat spreading across his face. Bernard saw the opportunity to take charge again, ordering the new Santa to his room to get some sleep.

Molly bent down and hugged Charlie. "Night kiddo, it was good to meet you."

"You too!"

The elves had all returned to work at this point, acting as if Scott's little outburst had never happened. Molly approached Bernard and placed a hand gently on his arm.

It was easy to see that one thing the movies didn't show was just how much the events of the evening took out of Bernard.

"You okay?"

Bernard snorted. "I'll live." He shrugged off her hand and started to walk away.

Molly was stung by his response and stared after him a moment. She was tempted to snap something backand stalk away angrily, but the sight of his slumped shoulders and slower walk made her change plans.

She jogged after him and slid her arm through his.

"Come on, you need a chance to relax and let off some steam."

Bernard looked down at the strange girl who was grinning up at him, wondering how after all that she could be so cheerful. She seemed oddly at home in the North Pole, almost as though the story she had told him were true. It seemed odd to even consider that, but there was an affection she seemed to have towards him, Charlie, and even Judy, that could not be explained in any other way.

A smile itched at the corner of his mouth, though Molly missed it. “Good luck with that,” he said, wondering just what she had in mind. For the moment at least, Bernard felt just a little bit lighter.

Chapter Text

Molly led Bernard down the hallway, towards the E.L.F.S. room. The earlier chaos in the North Pole had slowed, and the building was mostly empty. Molly assumed everyone was taking the opportunity to rest after the craziness.

"You can fly those jet pack thingers right?" she asked, walking straight to the doors.

Bernard pulled Molly to a stop and frowned. "Well yeah, but we only use them for emergency situations. E.L.F.S. equipment is very difficult to keep up, and not supposed to be used on a whim."

Molly snorted. "Well, this is a whim, but it's also an emergency… technically… so, we're going to go in there, you're going to hook up a jet pack, and the two of us are getting out of here." She pulled away from Bernard's grip, and grabbed the handle the big doors that led into the room.

Much to her surprise, the doors that looked like they swung open easily in the movies were actually extremely heavy. It took throwing her whole body weight into it to pull open the doors, completely disrupting the dramatic entrance she had hoped for into the room.

Unlike the rest of Santa's workshop, the E.L.F.S. room looked very normal. Rather than being filled with extravagant colours and decorations it looked like a standard locker room. This fact alone gave Molly reason to start meditating on if there was more to Christmas Elves than what they made kids believe in the movies. Still… she could try to figure that out later. For now, she had a depressed elf and a mission to cheer him up to worry about.

“Are you coming?”

Bernard looked conflicted. On the one hand, as head elf, rules really needed to be adhered to. On the other, he found himself completely caught off guard by Molly’s mischievousness. He also had to admit that he was curious as to her solution to his current demeanour. And, if he was being honest, getting away from the North Pole for a while held far more of a pull to it than he would ever admit out loud.

With a nod, he followed her into the room, then went straight to the storage locker and began pulling out equipment.

"So where are we going?" he asked as he began to check all the dials and wires to make sure everything was set and ready to go.

"It's a surprise." She was slowly turning in circles eyeing the lockers with a contemplative look on her face.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to figure out which locker would have a jacket big enough for me in it." She trailed her finger along the names posted on the lockers, almost as if she was looking for one in particular. Her finger stopped at Quentin’s locker. She crinkled her nose as she did, what Bernard could only assume were calculations in her mind, as she waved her finger about.

"You could have just asked me you know. I do have multiple jackets." Bernard pointed out.

"But where the fun in that?" she asked as she pulled a hairpin out of her hair, smiled innocently, then picked the lock.

Bernard looked at her, raising an eyebrow at the mischievous grin that was spread across her face as she pulled out a coat and tried it on. "Where did you learn to do that?"

Molly shrugged. "Movies?"

Bernard snorted. "Somehow, I don't feel inclined to believe that."

The coat, much to Molly's pleasure, fit her just right. She had been fairly certain that she was close to Quentin’s size, but one could never really tell just from a movie. She walked over to Bernard and reached over to take the jetpack from him.

Bernard laughed and swung it over his own shoulder. "You think I'd trust YOU with this?"

Molly pouted but didn't respond. Secretly, she was thrilled, as it meant that Bernard would have to hold onto her, whether it be her hand or around her waist. It was the kind of thing that every fangirl would want to happen, though Molly realized it would be very dumb to make Bernard aware of that fact.

"So where are we going?" Bernard inquired as he fastened the buckles and pressed his watch to open the smaller departure hatch directly within the locker room.

"Toronto," Molly grinned. "Just touch down somewhere near the Yonge and Dundas Square and we'll walk from there."

"You want to land in downtown Toronto, at NIGHT?" Bernard wondered if she actually knew where they were going – somehow the idea of going downtown in a large city in the middle of the night didn’t seem all that safe.

"It’s going to be fine," she replied, another mischievous grin. “I know the city well enough. We’ll be fine.”

Bernard didn’t seem convinced.

“Just trust me, please?”

The mischief in her eyes settled into something else – something genuine, and maybe a bit intense and earnest. Like she believed in her very soul that this would truly help him. He contemplated a snippy remark about having just met her and trust needing to be earned, but he realized he was far too tired to engage in banter right now. With that, Bernard sighed and nodded.

“Very well.”

Bernard activated the jets and held out his hand. Molly hesitated, taking a deep breath. Maybe it was the adrenaline finally wearing off – or perhaps it was the small action of holding Bernard’s hand, but reality crashed on her like an anvil in that moment. As much as this was the movie she had loved and adored, and standing before her was the character she had crushed on since she was nine, this wasn’t fiction. Regardless of whether this world truly existed or it was some strange manifestation, in this moment, the Bernard standing before her wasn’t a character. He was a real, living breathing person. And regardless of whether she could control the actual feelings of a crush, he didn’t deserve to have her obsession seeping into every interaction. He deserved to be treated like more than his character.

With that, Molly took a deep, steadying breath once more and took his hand, willing herself to ignore the rush of electricity sparking through her. This trip was about Bernard – about giving him a chance to get away from the space he never left. And she intended to keep her intentions focused on the right thing.

Bernard pressed the controls and the two slowly lifted into the air, hovering slightly for a moment before moving upwards more quickly.

As they moved out into the open sky, Molly was smacked with the realization that there was one element of this trip she hadn’t thought through – her overwhelming fear of heights.

They climbed higher into the sky and her facial expression quickly shifted from one of bold determination to being extremely terrified, on the verge of tears, and whiter than a sheet.

Bernard took no notice until Molly, unable to contain her fear any longer, swung herself around suddenly and latched onto him, clutching so tight it almost caused his breath to hitch.

"Uhh… I'm really flattered and all," Bernard began, "but we did just meet." He started to push her off, not noticing the look of sheer terror on her face.

Molly responded by bursting out in tears.

"Whoa… I didn't mean it in a bad way… I mean, you're cute and all, and seem to be pretty cool, but uhm…" he rambled, feeling his cheeks grow hot. He knew he must be blushing from the neck up but couldn't stop it. He was confused and slightly embarrassed.

"It's-not-you, you idiot," Molly choked out. "I'm petrified of heeeiiiggghhhhts." The last part came out in a wail as she buried her face in his coat.

For the first time that evening, Bernard burst out laughing. "You're afraid of heights?"

Molly stopped her crying to glare up at him. "Not afraid. Petrified. And it's not funny."

Still laughing, Bernard shook his head slowly. "So, being terrified of heights, you decided to bully me into taking a jet pack, to fly over the world?" For the second time that night, he held out a hand to her. "You're going to be okay," he said softly. "Nothing will happen to you so long as I'm holding your hand."

Molly sniffed and slowly shifted from clinging to him to holding onto his hand. Her whole body was shaking and she gripped his hand so tightly it almost hurt, but even in her fear, she returned the trust he was showing her in taking this trip.

Bernard had to admit to himself that it felt kind of nice to have that sort of close contact, if even for a minute. It had been well over two hundred years since he had even thought of holding someone that close, feeling that kind of intimate interaction. Not that he was thinking of wanting that now, he quickly told himself, pushing the thought aside.

"So tell me a little about yourself," he asked, trying to keep her mind off their height from the ground.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "Well, I'm from a small town in Southern Ontario. I've lived there all my life…"

The rest of the journey took another fifteen minutes, and Bernard listened intently as the blonde told her life story. He had to admit, he was impressed with the strength the girl had, after hearing some of the things she and her family had been through. Death, it seemed, hounded the family's doorstep. Bernard couldn't help but wonder, after hearing all that, whether or not the girl's bubbly personality and optimistic attitude was a mask, or if she had genuinely walked away from everything with such a positive outlook.

The Toronto skyscape was lit up, glittering with multicoloured lights that shimmered over the ice-covered Lake Ontario. The CN Tower was lit in red and white for Christmas, and as they neared their destination, Bernard was caught off guard by just how bright and flashy everything was. He watched in amazement as he slowly guided himself and Molly to the ground.

They landed just to the far southeast corner of Yonge and Dundas Square, using some of his Christmas magic to keep them concealed until they could safely emerge from the shadows.

"It always catches me off guard how much larger than life it feels here," Molly said breathlessly, looking around in wonder. "It almost feels surreal."

"Do you come here often?” Bernard asked, shrugging off the jetpack and pressing a small button on its side that caused it to shrink to a pocket-sized storage device.

"Very rarely. Never alone. The last time I was here was a few years ago, on a school trip.”

Bernard blinked. "How can you know where we’re going if you’ve barely ever been here?!"

She grinned. "I have a vague idea. Besides, it’s as much about getting to the destination as it is about the adventure to GET there."

Bernard shook his head slowly but couldn't help from smiling slightly. "So what exactly would one be able to find at—" he glanced at his watch as it shimmered and shifted to local time “—ten at night?”

Molly whistled. “10? Man, this whole night of Christmas Eve time thing is weird.”

“That’s the magic of Christmas – things are… time is…” Bernard paused, trying to think of the best way to explain it. “Time is a weird soup.”

“A weird soup?”

“Yes. Exactly.”

Molly crinkled her nose again, Bernard noting that this seemed to be the face she made any time she was concentrating really hard on a thought. “How exactly is time a weird soup.”

He shrugged. “Beats me. It sounded right at the time.”

Molly laughed, then grabbed his hand and started walking forward, dragging him along. "This is Toronto. Ten at night is still early! I guarantee where we are going is still open."

They walked through the city in silence for the most part, looking in wonder at the many different buildings, taking in the people, the sights, the sounds. At some point in their walk, Molly had let go of Bernard’s hand and slipped her arm through his as she led him along with purpose. They passed another large open space, with cement arches and an ice rink filled with people. Bernard had to admit, as little time as he spent in the populated parts of this world, there was a strange beauty and a sense of serenity that hung over their cities. Even with all the horns, alarms, and overwhelming sounds.

"Aha! There we are!" Molly exclaimed, shaking Bernard from his thoughts.

He followed her gaze across the street to a small coffee shop with an open sign flashing in the window. It looked like a quaint little place, and Bernard allowed Molly to pull him across the street.

"What is it with you humans and coffee?" he asked.

Molly shrugged. "It's wonderful, it's warm, and it's energizing. Plus, it tastes amazing."

"Yeah, but hot chocolate is the same," Bernard pointed out.

"Maybe for elves, but hot chocolate doesn't really give me energy. That's what coffee is for."

Bernard slipped his hand from Molly’s to hold open the door for her. He gave her a kind of lopsided grin as they entered the shop.

"Well, that explains all your energy," Bernard chuckled.

"Nah, I haven't had a coffee in a few days, this is just me normally."

Bernard paused for a moment, wondering if he would be able to handle the girl on caffeine if this was her normally.

"Merry Christmas," the man behind the counter said glumly as the two approached. His expression and unenthusiastic response caught Bernard off-guard. He realized there was no reason to expect cheerfulness – humans were rarely as cheerful as elves, and the man was likely unimpressed to be working on Christmas Eve.

Molly smiled kindly at the barista and pulled a twenty-dollar bill out of her pocket, then dropped it in the woefully bare tip jar. He looked surprised, then smiled gratefully.

"What can I get you?" He asked, looking between the two.

"I'll have a large hot chocolate," Bernard ordered, "With extra whip-cream please."

He heard a small snort escape from Molly and looked over.

"What?"

"You are worried about me drinking coffee, and you're about to have a large hot chocolate in this late at night?"

Bernard just shrugged in response.

Shaking her head, Molly rattled off her order. "Caramel Dulce Latte, medium please, soya milk, with whipped cream," she rattled off.

"Order that much?" Bernard teased.

"All the time."

Molly paid for their drinks then picked a table in the back corner of the café and sat down, Bernard following. They sat quietly for a few minutes, each enjoying their drinks. Molly was staring at out the window at the soft snow that had begun falling, chewing her lip and crinkling her nose again.

"So, what was the point of this?" Bernard asked, looking around the quiet coffee shop. He wasn't really sure where he had expected Molly to take him, but he had expected something louder, like a nightclub, or somewhere full of people. He hadn't pictured her as the quiet, coffee shop type.

Molly shifted her gaze from the window to Bernard.

"The point, my dear Bernard, was to get you out of the North Pole and somewhere a little more relaxing," she explained, taking off the jacket and pulling up one of her knees so that she was hugging her leg as she settled into the chair. "Coffee shops are my favourite places to go and unwind… although usually, with a book or a notebook."

"I'm sorry, but I really can't picture you being the type hidden away in a coffee shop with your nose in a book," Bernard teased, noting that her whole demeanour had shifted into something calmer – something, perhaps, even more natural than her previous almost-hyper state. He realized there had been glimpses of this earlier in the night – in moments where she was distracted from all that was going around her and focused on something or someone else than the chaos. Like when she had first picked up on the stress dragging him down so heavily.

Molly shrugged. "Believe it or not, I'm actually a huge bookworm and a writer. I prefer the solitude of being alone in a coffee shop to being around a large group of people."

This also surprised Bernard. From the little amount that he had seen and spent with Molly, she struck him as the kind of person that was a social butterfly and preferred lots of friends to being alone. He would never, in a million years have pegged her as someone, well, someone more like him, more of an introvert.

"I'm actually quite socially awkward," she admitted shyly, taking a sip from her latte. "That's part of why I love reading and writing so much – I don't have to worry about the impression I make on the characters."

“You didn’t seem that awkward earlier this night. You seemed… bold? Like you knew exactly where you were going and what you wanted to say.” Bernard laughed as he thought back to their semi-public blowout. “And you certainly didn’t seem bothered by the crowd of elves when you were yelling at me.”

Molly blushed. “To be fair, I didn’t really know the crowd of elves was there at first. I don’t really know how to act around people. I get this, weird anxiety I guess? My brain feels like its spinning and I overcompensate with being bubbly and hyper out of sheer panic. Crowds, people I don’t know? They make me want to run away and hide.”

Bernard was surprised, but he realized pleasantly so. He hadn’t met someone who quite understood that sense of overwhelm he also got around large groups. This was mostly because elves were naturally drawn to crowds and cheer and socializing. Bernard had always been the odd one out. "Well, this might sound strange as well, but despite being Head Elf, I'm kind of socially awkward as well."

"I kind of guessed that one already,” Molly teased.

"It's hard, being Head Elf. I think I had more social skills before I got the position. Don't get me wrong, I have friends – Judy has been my friend for over 300 years, and Quentin and I share a good laugh now and again. It's just hard, to be their boss, and their friend."

Molly listened intently, sipping away at her coffee but not saying a word. Bernard was slightly surprised at how easy it was to talk to her, at how easily he began to unload all his burdens. He hadn't wanted to pour his problems out, but once he started, it just wouldn't stop. Bernard hadn’t even realized this had all been bubbling around inside of him.

"And then there's this whole Santa thing. I mean, you would think someone would be thrilled to be Santa Claus. Sure, there's that whole adjustment period for adults to believe, but never has a Santa been THIS un-accepting!" He stopped and flushed slightly. "Sorry… I've been whining for over an hour now."

Smiling, Molly shook her head. "Don't apologize – this was the point of getting you away, to let it all out."

Bernard smiled sheepishly at her. "I don't think I've ranted like that in… well, ever."

"You know… this may be why you have such rage issues, you bottling it all up and everything."

"What are you a counselor now?"

Molly shrugged. "I can be whatever you want me to be." Realizing exactly how that sounded, she stammered. "Uhm, uhh. Well, you know what I mean."

Bernard laughed. "Just, can you tell me one thing? This Scott Calvin… do things get any better with him?"

"If they happen like in my movies, yes."

He breathed a soft sigh of relief, then reached across the table and squeezed Molly' hand slightly. "Thank you for this."

"You're welcome." Molly squeezed his hand back, then withdrew it politely before glancing over at the clock. "Wow… it's after midnight already. Should we get back?"

Bernard smiled. "If you are still awake enough, how about a little walk through downtown? It seems like the perfect night to see the city."

Molly clasped her hands together excitedly. "Really? Oh my gosh that would be amazing!"

He nodded and stood to his feet, then held out his arm. "Shall we?"

Without a moment of hesitation, Molly leapt to her feet and slipped her arm through his. They bid the barista goodnight and made their way back out into the cold.

Bernard made an adjustment to his watch and flashed Molly a lopsided grin. Gold flecks and sparkles began to swirl around the two of them, creating a warm breeze. After a few seconds the flecks and sparkles faded leaving just the warmth in its wake. They walked back into the calming city streets, chatting away.

Chapter Text

The temperature seemed rather warm for a December night in Ontario. Molly figured it had something to do with the magic that Bernard was using. The city was beautiful, even at night. Everything about the past 24 hours had all felt so surreal, but Molly realized there was still a chance this could all turn out to be just a dream.

"So, I have to ask, how do you think the Council of Legendary Figures is going to react?" Molly shoved her hands in her pockets and breathed in the crisp, air. She had never quite figured out what it was, but something about cities made her feel so much more alive.

Bernard shrugged. "I have no idea, to be honest. Obviously, the SOS…" he paused and looked over at her. "Do you know what the SOS is?"

"Yeah, the Secret of Santa."

"Right. There are probably going to be some fears about that. And then there's the whole Santa thing. It might make for a very tense meeting."

"Who meets with them when Santa… can't?" She didn't feel the need to point out that even if they asked the new 'Santa', he wouldn't believe them.

Bernard furrowed his brow slightly, looking stressed again. "The task falls to me, as Head Elf. I haven't had to meet with them in over two hundred years. The last time I did, it didn't go over so well."

Molly was surprised. Bernard was so organized and on task – she couldn't imagine him failing at an update meeting. "What happened?"

"Cupid and I got into it a few times," he admitted sheepishly.

Molly laughed. "Honestly, that doesn't surprise me."

Bernard raised his eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Well, he kind of seemed like a bit of a dick in the second movie."

"Wait… there's more than one?"

Molly nodded. "There's two. The third is rumoured to be coming out in two years."

"Hmm." Bernard wanted to ask her more about the movies, but her fear of ruining the time space continuum had seemed pretty intense, so he tried to ignore his curiousity. "Yeah, Cupid is a bit of a … jerk. He's full of himself and thinks he's this big hot shot just because he can make people fall in love."

"But people fall in love without his help, right?"

"Exactly."

Molly shook her head. "I don't think I'd get along with him very well."

Bernard laughed. "Very few do." He appeared thoughtful for a moment. "You know… maybe you should come with me to the meeting tomorrow. It might ease their fears on the whole SOS thing if they meet you… and might make me look a little less like I’ve had too much hot chocolate."

"Wait, are you SERIOUS?" Molly looked at him, eyes wide and a huge grin on her face. "Meeting the Council? I would love to!"

Bernard smiled. "How old did you say you were again?" he asked with a smirk. He had never seen anyone get that excited at meeting the Council. Then again, most people he knew were from the worlds where magic existed, and meeting the Council typically meant they had screwed up.

She stuck her tongue out at him. "There is nothing wrong with a healthy interest in the political operations of any kind of world."

"That's the first time I've heard that from someone who hasn’t graduated high school."

“Hey now! I’m a victory-lapper. I graduate last year. I’m just earning some extra credits so my college applications look even better.”

Bernard cocked his head towards her in interest. “Were your grades not good enough before?”

Molly shook her head. “It’s not about the grades. I graduated on honour roll. The program I want to get into… it’s difficult. They get thousands of applicants every year, but only admit one-hundred. I’m good, but so is everyone else applying. I want to make sure I can stand out.” Her voice trailed off at the end as she realized that if she didn’t get back home, that might all be moot anyways. She highly doubted transcripts could be sent from another universe.

After a few moments, Molly stopped, her gaze drifting in between two benches on the sidewalk. There, a young girl, maybe in her early teens, shivered as she slept in her worn coat.

"Can they see us or hear us?" Molly asked, unsure of how Bernard’s magical barrier was working.

Bernard shook his head, as he looked over to where Molly was already walking. "What are you doing?"

She didn't respond. Instead, she fumbled around in her pockets and pulled out a couple Canadian twenty-dollar bills and tucked them into the girl's pocket cautiously. When the girl didn't react, Molly removed Quentin’s jacket, and took off the sweater she had been wearing, laying it over the girl. She put back on the elven jacket and watched sadly for a moment before turning and walking away.

Bernard was moved by her display of compassion. Most humans he had observed seemed more likely to pretend the homeless didn't exist.

Sighing, Molly walked back over to him, and hugged herself to keep warm. "I wish there was more I could do," she said sadly.

"I think you just did more than most," he replied as he took off his jacket, then offered it to her. "Here, I'm used to the cold. It's natural for me."

She smiled slightly and accepted it. "I hate seeing people homeless. My family once took a trip to Toronto at Christmas and I saw so many kids my own age begging on the streets. After the first one, I couldn't even look at them, because I was trying so hard not to cry. I hate to even think of what would drive a kid to choose the streets over living at home. Everyone should have a place to feel loved and call home."

Bernard didn't know what to say. Of course Christmas elves knew the harsh realities of the human world, but up in the North Pole, it was often easy to forget just how real and harsh they really were. There was no such thing as a homeless Christmas elf, or of someone feeling unloved or unwanted. Sure, there were dark times, and things were not as happy-go-lucky as the humans seemed to think, but being loved was never a question there. If things did not work out with one's family, there were plenty of relatives and friends ready to open their doors.

"Ugh… sorry, I just totally killed the Christmassy-mood," Molly apologized, shaking Bernard from his thoughts.

"What? No, don't apologize. You didn't kill the mood. An act of kindness is always part of the Christmas spirit."

They walked over to the skating rink they had seen earlier, and Molly sighed, changing the topic awkwardly. "Do you ever watch movies up in Elfsburg?"

"Sometimes."

"One of my favourite Christmas movies was filmed partially at an open skating rink in a city like this. Well, in my world." She looked up at the sky and smiled. "Cassiopeia."

Bernard followed her gaze, up to the constellation.

"Do you know the story of Cassiopeia?"

Bernard shook his head. "I just know the constellations. We use them to guide Santa. We've been using star maps since the first Santa Claus."

Pushing herself up on the small wooden wall, Molly jumped up and slowly lowered herself onto the now empty skating rink. Bernard laughed and did the same.

"You realize without skates, we're going to end up falling a lot right?"

Molly just smiled, and pushed off the wall, gliding somewhat gracefully backwards.

"So the story is your pretty standard tale about vanity. Cassiopeia would often brag about how much more beautiful she was than everyone, including the sea nymphs. Poseidon got real pissed off, punished her, and then put her image in the sky, so that part of the year she’d appear upside down with her dress over her head. Super embarrassing.”

She glided around the rink a bit before she slipped and sprawled rather ungracefully across the ice, laughing as she hit the ground with a loud thunk.

Bernard slid after her, waving his arms around to try and keep his balance. He was a little wobbly but managed to make it over to her without falling. "Is that what the movie is about?" he asked as he helped her to her feet. "Because that doesn't sound very Christmassy or happy."

She chuckled. "No. The lead man tells the lead girl about Cassiopeia the night they meet, while they are at the rink. A weird, non-romantic pick-up line. But it works." She sighed again and began to skate around on her shoes. "It's a movie about love and destiny. Two random strangers have a chance encounter while shopping for a gift for their significant others, and after running back into each other again by accident, they spend the evening together. They fall for one another, but she wants to leave their relationship to destiny. So they do a test to see if destiny means for them to be together, and miss running into each other by mere seconds. The rest of the movie, they move on with their lives, but their hearts still belong to one another, and so they spend the next few years searching for each other again."

"You're such a girl," Bernard laughed. "Do you realize your eyes light up and you get this silly little glow about you when you talk about this movie?"

Molly shrugged. "What can I say, I'm a hopeless romantic. I just love the idea of two strangers knowing in an instant that they are meant to be together."

He shook his head. He couldn't believe how much he had managed to learn about this girl in one night. She was unlike anyone he knew. She was so alive and animated yet grounded at the same time. Silly and childlike, yet calm and mature. So very, very different than the elves.

There was a time when Bernard had clung to stories like the movie Molly had described. When he was in his teen years, which for Christmas elves, lasted about five-hundred years, he had been a hopeless romantic. Though he had met many a beautiful elf in his lifetime, none had ever really drawn him in. As he got older, he lost that romantic flair. His life became about work, about Santa and keeping the North Pole in order. For a moment, as Molly had gushed about this movie, he had felt that hopeless romantic inside of him coming to life again. But it was only a moment.

It was as he snapped out of that moment that he realized how much time they had spent in the city. Probably most of the night in the North Pole by this time. He glanced at his watch, noticing the magic gauge hovering dangerously low.

He skated back over to the wall, motioning for Molly to follow. "We've got to go," he said, as he climbed out of the rink.

Molly followed him, noticing the change in his demeanour. For a moment, he had become the light-hearted Bernard she recognized from the movies. But now, the crease in his forehead was reappearing, and the worried expression was replacing the smile.

"Everything okay?"

Bernard looked over at her, startled. "I'm fine, why?"

"You just are starting to look stressed again."

"I'm almost out of magic. And I still have to figure out what to do with Scott Calvin… and you."

When Molly had hoisted herself back over the wall, she walked over and gave Bernard a hug. "Thank you, for letting me take you for coffee… and for taking me through the city."

Bernard was a little taken aback at first, but then he returned the hug. "Thank you, Molly." He blushed slightly. "I can't remember the last time I've actually done something… fun."

They pulled apart, and Molly shifted awkwardly. Hugging him had been a natural reaction, but she hadn't expected him to hug back. She knew it was just a hug, but suddenly she just felt very self-conscious about the act. "You're welcome," she said, trying to hide her discomfort.

It was obvious to Bernard that something was suddenly bothering her, but he wasn't sure he wanted to know what. He had felt her flinch slightly when he hugged back, a response that he found more confusing than he had anticipated. Now, her cheeks were flushed, and she wouldn't meet his gaze.

Trying not to put much thought into her reaction, he pulled out the miniaturized jetpack and pressed the button to bring it back to a normal size again.

When he had secured it on his back, he reached out and took Molly' hand. "You gonna be okay this time?"

Again, the flinch.

Molly was doing everything she could not to let the feelings that overwhelmed her when he returned the hug show. She knew his hug and grabbing her hand meant nothing, but crushes didn’t vanish just because one willed it so.

"Sorry," she said. "I'm just nervous about the flying."

He knew it was a lie but didn't push the question. Her sudden change in behaviour was strange, but he had didn’t want to push her on it.

"I'll be okay this time, I think," she said, taking a deep breath as she answered his question.

He fired up the jetpack and they raised slowly into the air then took off into the night.

As they flew through the skies, Bernard started to tell Molly about life as a Christmas elf and about the North Pole. He didn't know how much the movies she kept referring to explained about their lives, so he just kept talking. If he was telling her information she already knew, she wasn't letting on as she listened intently.

"We're not actually called Christmas elves," Bernard said. "I mean, we are, but that's not what we really are. We got the nickname just over 1500 years ago, when we first came to help Saint Nicholas, the original Santa Claus. It was started as a joke by some of the other elves. It just made sense for us. Unlike our brethren, who are tall, slender and majestic, we have always been shorter and more childlike. It takes a very long time for us to look like adults. We were dubbed 'Christmas elves' because it seemed to be the only thing we could do well."

Molly was enthralled by his stories. She had always wondered about the elves beyond the movies. Where they came from, whether they were strictly Christmas elves or not.

"Most elves leave the North Pole once they reach adulthood. By then, they've saved enough that they choose to leave and start families of their own. Elves at the North Pole are usually between five hundred to a thousand years old. They leave after that."

Molly looked over at him. "So how old are you then?"

Bernard flushed slightly, suddenly feeling very old. "1457."

"Well, you don't look a day over twenty to me," Molly smiled.

Her earlier awkwardness seemed to fade the more they talked. Or rather, the more Bernard talked and Molly listened.

She wasn't sure if pushing why he had stayed was a good move at this time, or if that should wait.

"Thanks, though, twenty for an elf looks like a baby for a human."

"Way to make me feel even younger then," she teased. "Until today, I was starting to feel like I was getting old!"

As they began to descend onto the North Pole, Molly took in everything. It was so majestic and beautiful from the air. As she looked around, she noticed a polar bear directing traffic.

"Oh my gosh! It's actually true!" she exclaimed.

"What is?"

"Polar bears directing traffic!" She giggled.

Bernard smiled. "It's amazing isn't it?"

"Beyond words."

By the time they landed and put away the equipment, Molly had begun to yawn.

"Good timing, I am definitely ready for bed. Goodnight, Bernard," she said softly as she turned to go down the hall to the 'guest' room.

Bernard paused, wondering if he should offer her a better place to stay. He wasn't sure how he felt about asking a girl he had just met to stay in his apartment, but he knew for a fact the couch in his living room was more comfortable than the guest room. He bit his lip slightly as he decided, then called out to her.

"You know, my couch is way more comfortable than that bed," he offered.

Molly turned around, surprised. "Are you sure?" she asked. "I mean, we barely know each other."

"It's not like I'm asking you to sleep in my bed with me," he pointed out. "Trust me. You'll get a better sleep. And you need your rest if you're going to be facing the council with me tomorrow."

Molly crinkled her nose as she thought. Although her parents would seriously disprove, the thought of a more comfortable sleep was far too tantalizing.

"Okay… just let me get my things."

Bernard's apartment was smaller than Molly had expected, but cozy and warm. She had expected it to be decorated like Christmas, but instead, it was a perfect blend of deep blues, blacks and rich greens. The kitchen opened into a small living room with a large-sized two-cushioned couch and a coffee table in front of it. A hallway off the living room led to the bedroom and the bathroom.

They didn't talk much before Molly curled up on the couch and passed out. Once Bernard was certain she was asleep, he ventured to his own, stressing about what would happen at the council meeting the next day.

Chapter Text

Bernard woke up early that morning, still nervous about the pending Council meeting. There were no noises coming from his living room indicating that Molly was awake, so he decided to take a slightly longer shower.

When he came out and had dressed, the living room was still silent. He wasn’t quite sure what kind of person Molly would be when it came to the length of time required for her to shower, dress, and get ready and thought he should make sure she had enough time, just in case.

He had to stifle a laugh when he saw her. She was sprawled out as much as she possibly could on the couch, with one leg sticking up the back, and the other hanging off the side. Molly looked intensely awkward and yet very peaceful at the same time. He almost didn't want to wake her.

Kneeling beside her, Bernard shook Molly’s shoulder lightly.

"Hey," he said softly, "it's time to wake up."

"A little longer mom," she slurred through her sleep. "Bernard's in my dreams."

Bernard’s eyes widened and he blushed. Was dreaming about him something she did often? He shook her again, slightly harder. "Molly, it's time to get up."

Her eyes opened lazily, then flew open wider as she startled fully awake and bolted upright. "Wha? Huh? What's going on?"

"Molly, it's me, Bernard… you're at the North Pole remember?"

The momentary panic faded into recognition, and she looked at Bernard sheepishly. "Sorry… I tend to be a little disoriented when I wake up..."

"Yeah, the first time I tried to wake you up you didn't believe me."

"That'll happen."

She glanced down at her clothes and frowned. "Uhm, this is going to sound a little strange but… do you have anything I could wear? After having been in these clothes for like, 24 hours now… yeahhhhh." She trailed off as she looked back up at Bernard hopefully.

"I think I can find something – there have been many a Mrs. Claus from your world, I'm sure something of theirs that they left behind has to fit. In the meantime –" He tossed Molly a towel. "Shower is in the bathroom, you can use any of the shampoos and stuff in there. I'll leave the clothes for you at the door to the bathroom."

Forty-five minutes later, the two were on their way out the door to the council chambers. Molly was glad Bernard had been able to find a pair of jeans and a hoodie – even though they were slightly too big, it was a lot more comfortable than some of the clothing she had imagined he would come back with.

They paused at the doors to the chambers, and Bernard looked down at Molly. "You ready?"

She was fidgeting with her hands nervously. "You know, I always thought if this ever happened, I'd bounce in there with confidence, marvelling at the awesomeness of meeting the legendary figures, but now… I'm just scared."

Bernard instinctively grabbed her hand, holding it reassuringly. Whether it was himself he was trying to reassure, or Molly, he didn’t quite know. "Don't worry – I'm sure everything is going to be all right."

But even Bernard couldn't shake the fear of the outcome from his mind. What if they decided Molly wasn't their problem and just sent her off into the world? What would she do in a world that wasn't her own? Did a version of her even exist in this world?

He took a deep breath, pushed open the doors and immediately prepared himself for the worst.

The council was already all there, talking amidst themselves and waiting for Bernard's arrival. They looked up when he and the human girl entered, mixed expressions of surprise and concern across their faces. Bernard realized he was still holding Molly’s hand and dropped it quickly, not wanting to give the council the wrong impression. The action did not go unnoticed, as Mother Nature raised an eyebrow.

"Bernard.” She gave him a slight nod. "And who is this?"

"My name is Molly, ma'am," Molly squeaked out.

Bernard was a little surprised, not expecting her to chime in quite so quickly.

Cupid fluttered over and hovered in front of her. "Looks human to me, and poorly dressed at that." He looked over at Bernard pointedly. "I never would have expected you of all people to break the rules, elf."

"Hey! This isn't his fault," Molly snapped defensively, and Cupid looked back at her. "As far as I know, this was nobody's fault!"

"She, is, right…" Father Time said slowly. The figures all looked over at him in surprise. "A magic beyond anything we have here has brought her from another world."

"Magic?" Molly looked confused. "But my world doesn't have magic."

The rest of the council erupted, everyone talking loudly and at once. The Easter Bunny was shouting about how it would affect the time and space continuum, Tooth Fairy started wailing about the Apocalypse and Sandman, well… Sandman started to mutter something about the SOS before falling asleep on the desk.

"Order! Order!" called Mother Nature. "We have much to discuss, and panicking or arguing isn't going to get us anywhere. There is also the… specific event which occurred on Christmas Eve that we need to talk about."

"She knows about that already," Bernard said quietly, afraid of causing another eruption.

"Smooth going, elf," sneered cupid.

“Bernard.” The Head Elf corrected him sharply. “And it wasn't me who told her. She already knew about that before she arrived."

The air was tense in the room, and Molly was starting to wish she hadn't agreed to come along. She didn't want to cause Bernard more stress and clearly the air had not settled in the 200 years since his and Cupid's fight.

She was ready to snap something rude at Cupid, but bit her tongue, if only for the fact that she didn't want the council members thinking she was disrespectful. After all, this was the first time they had met.

Mother Nature sighed. "Molly, would you mind telling us how you know about the Secret of Santa?"

"Cause the North Pole sure ain't a dead giveaway," muttered Cupid from the corner of the room.

"Cupid, please try to be a little more polite and stop acting like she's an enemy. Let's hear her side of the story first."

Molly looked over at Bernard, unsure of whether she should tell the truth or not. She was shaking and suddenly felt as if she was going to be sick. Legendary figures or not, would they believe her story?

Bernard, noticing how nervous Molly was, nodded encouragingly. "It's okay, go ahead."

The Easter Bunny elbowed Sandman awake. "You might want to hear this, buddy."

Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward. "This is going to sound a little crazy, but I'm from a completely different, well, universe, I guess. Where I'm from, there's no such thing as magic, or Santa Claus – it's just a legend for us. This, your world… it's a story where I come from."

The room was silent, and she wondered if any of them believed her. Their expressions were hard to read, even though she thought she had known the characters incredibly well. Some looked perplexed, others confused, and Cupid, well, Cupid looked bored, irritated, and somewhat smug.

"I was walking after school when this blizzard started, I tripped and fell, and when I woke up, I was in Elfsburg," she finished. "I can't explain anything beyond that." She shrugged and looked down at her feet, afraid to see what their expressions might hold.

The council sat silent for a moment, before Sandman cleared his throat, yawned, and spoke up. "It certainly sounds like a farfetched story, but I must confess… it sounds too wild a tale for it not to be true."

"How does that make any sense at all?" asked Cupid. "It's so out there, it has to be real?"

The Easter Bunny nodded. "I agree – no sense at all."

"Why would I make this up?" Molly demanded, feeling angry. More anger at herself for hoping they might believe her, but it was enough to make her put her foot down. "And how the HELL would I get to the North Pole, and find my way into Elfsburg all by myself, know about Santa and the Santa Clause, and everything else?"

She felt someone's hand take hers and looked up to see Mother Nature standing in front of her. "Don't worry, I believe you." Turning back to the Legendary Council, she spoke again. "The girl is genuine."

"How do you know that?" Cupid asked.

"Because I'm Mother Nature." She left it at that, and none of the other council members proceeded to argue.

Feeling slightly relieved, Molly stepped back beside Bernard, trying to calm her shaking hands.

"Then we are presented with a dilemma," began Father Time. "If we cannot send her back, what do we do? We cannot allow a human to reside in Elfsburg – if we break one sacred rule, it allows for others to be broken as well. We do not know what leaving her here would do to Christmas."

Molly started to feel panicked again. Where would she go? What would she do? Would she ever make it back home? She had always dreamed of coming to this world, of being a part of Christmas, and Elfsburg and the story, but she had never once thought about whether the rules would get in the way.

Her breath caught in her throat and she felt herself getting dizzy. She thought she was about to fall over, when she felt a hand on her back, steadying her.

"It will be okay," Bernard leaned down and whispered. "Just breathe. I won't let them abandon you somewhere without contact."

The council members shot back ideas over the span of the next few minutes, all of them equally terrifying as the others. Father Time suggested manipulating a thread of time to fit Molly in where her otherworld version might be, or to fabricate her history with another family. Cupid suggested dumping her on a remote island somewhere, and Easter Bunny mentioned something about making her become his full-time bunny-sitter.

Each idea seemed to get more and more daunting, until Bernard cleared his throat incredibly loudly, commanding the attention of the room. When everyone had finally stopped talking, he spoke up.

"I have an idea – Molly knows Scott Calvin better than any of us do. He's a character in a story from her world and right now, he is not taking very well to the idea of being Santa. In fact, he is adjusting far worse than any other Santa we have ever had. And his son, Charlie, seems to like her. What if we send her down to watch over him for the time being? In the real world, we can fabricate the documents to make it appear as if she is a live-in caretaker of sorts."

Molly mind started spinning. The idea was good, better than any idea she could have come up with, except for one thing: having an 18-year-old living with a middle-aged man would look kind of suspicious. And how would they convince Scott? As far as Molly could remember, the first real indication he received that he was Santa, besides the physical changes, was the Naughty or Nice List. Would this screw up the timeline?

Her head was starting to hurt at all the things she was rushing to figure out. In the meanwhile, the council looked contemplative, but no one had spoken yet.

"I can take care of her, help her through and all of that while taking care of things here," continued Bernard. "I'll keep watch and make sure that nothing happens, that none of the secrets are let slip."

"Are you sure you can handle all of that responsibility Bernard?" Mother Nature expressed in concern. "You're fantastic at running the North Pole, but that's a lot of added work."

Bernard nodded and smiled. "From the little time I've had to get to know Molly, she's clever, caring, intelligent, and mature when needed. I think that having her there will actually be a great help."

Mother Nature nodded. "In that case, all in favour?"

All but Cupid raised their hands. Even Sandman, appearing to be sound asleep lifted his arm up off the table.

"Perfect, then it's settled. As is the dilemma surrounding Mr. Calvin and how we will get him to adjust to being Santa." Mother Nature tapped her staff on the ground twice. "Meeting adjourned."

"Thank you," Molly said, bowing respectfully. She wasn't sure why she did, it just seemed like the right thing to do.

Mother Nature smiled, and all the council figures disappeared, except Father Time.

"Bernard," he said, "would you mind giving me a moment with the young lady?"

"Not at all." He bowed his head respectfully and turned to leave, but Molly clutched his arm tightly and looked up at him terrified. "It's okay, Father Time is a softie, I promise," he reassured her before lifting her hand off his arm and retreating out the doors.

The large, wooden doors were closed with a loud thud, and Molly looked over at Father Time.

Father Time chuckled when he saw her scared expression. "You have nothing to fear, I just need a word with you. Please, come closer."

Molly nodded solemnly and walked over to where he sat.

"I don't know what magic brought you here, or how you will get home – but, by reaching into the fabric of time, I have discovered one thing. You must not reveal to anyone the outcome of the stories from your world, or any specific incidents."

Molly looked wildly panicked for a moment. "But I—"

"I know, you already did when the new Santa arrived – but those were minor, they were already in the middle of occurring and therefore could not be altered. What you need to remember is this is not your story – here, this is real. Things may occur as they did there, and they may not, but they must not be forced into happening a certain way. Your very being here alters everything. If you force your hand, if you try to force things to happen as they did in your world, the very fabric of both our realities could shatter."

"So, the fate of the universe, parallel universes, Christmas and everything rests on my shoulders?" She gulped. Whatever notions she had of a silly adventure were completely gone.

"Something like that."

"Then we are all in big trouble."

Father Time laughed. "I wouldn't worry too much. Just remember to act as if you don't know what will happen, and everything will be all right." He winked and disappeared.

Molly stood still for a moment, taking it all in. She had no idea how her speaking of events could tear the fabric of reality, but she didn't want to test it. Right now, though, she needed to figure out how this whole living with Scott Calvin thing was going to work.

"You can do this, Molly… you've got this." She pulled the hoodie's sleeves over her still shaking hands, feeling somewhat safer in the folds of the sweater, and left the council chambers.

Bernard was waiting for her just outside the door.

"Well, what did Father Time have to say?" He was slightly worried to see her expression remained frantic and the colour had still not returned to her face.

"Just that the fate of everyone in time and space rests in my hands, not like it's a big deal or anything, right?" She laughed sardonically. What was that phrase everyone always said? Be careful what you wished for? It seemed she was receiving a harsh dose of that. "Real great. The fate of us all in the hands of my clumsy ass."

"Wait, what?" Bernard was slightly confused. How could she be responsible?

"Father Time told me, if I tell anyone of what happens in our movies, or try to help anything along, the very fabrics of both of our realities will tear."

Bernard broke out laughing and pulled Molly into a comforting hug. "Oh you silly girl!" he exclaimed. "All you have to do is just act normal, and everything will be okay. It's not that big a deal."

"I don't understand how you can think that – I mean what if –"

"No what-ifs. Literally just roll with the snowballs thrown at you. If something happens, react like you normally would. Forget the story. Just live. Be who YOU are, not what the story is, and everything will be okay."

He pulled out of the hug, draped his arm around her shoulders and started to lead her towards the kitchen. "Now let's get you some hot cocoa and discuss how in the world we are going to convince Scott Calvin to let you stay with him."

“Coffee,” she corrected him as she smiled feebly and allowed him to lead her away.

Chapter Text

Molly, Bernard, and Judy sat on the stools at the large table in the kitchen, sipping their hot beverages, focused intently on their own respective cups. Molly’s brow was furrowed, Bernard was frowning, and Judy was deep in thought. Figuring out the semantics of how this plan would work was proving more and more difficult by the minute. 

The kitchen, which had seemed magical and wonderful only hours before, now seemed hauntingly quiet. The cool touch of the wood sent a shiver up Molly’s spine as a perplexed look sat permanently on her face. 

“What if….” Judy began, then her voice trailed off. “Never mind, that won’t work.” 

Bernard shook his head in bewilderment. “I should have fought harder to find a way that you could stay here. How would anyone besides the elves here know the rules were broken?”

“It’s okay, Bernard, really,” Molly said, offering a sympathetic smile. “The will of the council must be followed. Even if it’s complicated.”

She took another sip of her coffee, trying to force her brain to come up with some kind of brilliant idea to make this directive work. As if the coffee suddenly jolted her brain to life, the idea hit and she blinked in surprise. “I’ve got it!” 

Both elves looked away from their own cups, expectantly awaiting the revelation Molly had.

“We know Calvin’s a bit of a jerk, and is super forgetful when it comes to his kid, right?” 

“Well, we know he’s a jerk… but it does make sense from the way he treated Charlie last night,” Bernard said.

Molly continued. “It stands to reason he’s probably just as forgetful when it comes to other things as well. Could we not forge some kind of documents dated several months ago about a live-in nanny, something about wanting to make his home more welcoming and better suited for when he has his son?”

A smile spread across Judy’s face and the gears in her mind started turning. “That’s actually not a bad idea! I can get the elves in records to whip something up. We still have a few hours left before morning, and since this is an emergency of sorts, we could employ E.L.F.S. to take care of getting the paperwork to the appropriate locations.”

“You could drop me off at the doorstep Christmas morning; I’ll show up with the paperwork and he’ll be freaked out that he knows me. I can act weirded out as he’ll probably mention I was in his dream and I’ll suggest that perhaps it was his brain trying to remind him I’d be showing up.”

Judy nodded enthusiastically. “My only concern would be Charlie. He’d recognize you right away.” She glanced over at Bernard. “Maybe you could take care of that? Have a quick word with Charlie while Santa is trying to figure out things with Molly?”

Bernard just stared at them for a moment and blinked. “How did you two just do that?”

Without skipping a beat, and in complete unison, both women replied “Great minds!” then laughed. 

He shook his head slowly in bewilderment. “That was weird. But yes, I can take care of that. Once he gets you a room, Molly, I’ll meet you in there and we can try to sort out where to go from there.”

The plan was quickly and efficiently coming together. Judy hurried off to records to put the plan in play, while Bernard walked Molly back to his apartment to gather her things. It saddened the blonde that she had spent so little time in Elfsburg and at the workshop. There were still no answers as to why she was there in the first place, and now the place she desired to see most would be far from her reaches. 

“What am I going to do about clothes?” she asked, breaking the silence. 

“I hadn’t thought of that. I suppose we’ll have to get you some. We have vaults of different currencies for extreme circumstances. I think we can spare some money. We should probably provide you with a stipend until Calvin starts to pay you anyway.”

At the mention of pay, Molly’ eyes flew wide open in panic. “Pay?! How are we going to do that if I’m not an American citizen? I don’t even have a bank in this world!”

Bernard chuckled. “Judy will take care of that in records. We have dummy accounts at all the major banks just in case. We’ll switch this one to the name we’ll create for you and have all the appropriate paperwork drawn up.”

Molly let out a sigh of relief, then slumped down on the couch and huffed. She pulled her legs up to the couch, wrapping her arms around them so her knees were just under her chin. 

“It’s crazy. I used to daydream about those movies being real--about the chance to end up living them. But I never actually imagined that if it happened, it would be so real. That it wouldn’t be all sunshine, roses and magic. That there’d be real consequences to my being here, and that there would be a feeling of being completely alone.”

Bernard listened quietly, observing this girl who had been so filled with positivity and light the night before. Even though her sadness seemed in the moment, there was a darkness in her eyes he hadn’t noticed before. Not an evil darkness, but one of loneliness and sadness. He sat down beside her and smiled.

“Things usually aren’t quite as magical as we dream they would be,” he said, leaning back into the couch, and shifting so that he was facing her. “But we make the best of it, just like you were doing last night.”

Looking up, Molly smiled feebly. “You’re right, I know you are. It’s just. You know, there’s this place filled with life and magic. And instead, I’m going to be spending my time here with a grouchy man who doesn’t want to accept that he’s Santa, dealing with the thralls of his unpleasant divorce, and my only real friend will be a six-year-old.”

She sighed again and shrugged. “Maybe it won’t be that bad. But right now, it’s hard to see the upside.”

Reaching over, Bernard placed his hand on her knee to comfort her. “Hey, you won’t be alone. I’m not going to just leave you there – I’ll come visit as often as I can, and I’m sure Judy will take some time to come see you too. She’s taken quite a liking to you. Something about your fighting spirit?”

Molly laughed through the tears that were starting to run down her face and wiped them off her cheeks with the back of her sleeve.

“Do you think the council will be okay with that?”

“To be honest, I don’t care what they think,” Bernard replied. “As far as I’m concerned, you’re our responsibility. That means taking care of you and giving you what you need to survive in this world.” He paused, then winked. “And if Santa ends up being as much of a handful as he was last night, you’re going to need a lot.”

Molly leapt across the couch and threw her arms around Bernard then pulled away. “Thank you. Seriously, thank you so much. It’s terrifying not knowing anyone or anything in a strange world. I’m a little less scared knowing I have at least two people I can rely on.”

Bernard flushed slightly at the sudden burst of affection, but quickly shook it off and smiled. “I’m sure you’ll find as time goes on, you’ll have more than that to rely on.” He stood up and motioned towards the door. “We should get going. Judy will more than likely have everything ready for you, and we have to get you to Illinois.”

***
Dr. Hismus, Quinton, and Judy were waiting for the head elf and the human girl in Bernard’s office, much to Molly’ surprise. She hadn’t expected the other two elves to be there, but it felt good to see at least someone willing to bid her farewell. 

“I’m going to check in on you for your health, every now and again,” Dr. Hismus said. “It will take too much to get you in to see a human doctor, and we need to keep you healthy.” His tone was very matter of fact, which caused Molly to fight to stifle a giggle. It was going to take some serious adjusting to fully accept hearing such adult tones from the young-looking elves. Still, she appreciated at least the normalcy of their behaviour. It seemed somewhat grounding in a world that felt like chaos all around her. 

Judy smiled warmly and handed Molly a small duffle bag. “I took the liberty of packing some clothes for you. We still had some leftovers for undercover jobs from an older elf that was about your size. They’re from the 70s, so they might seem a bit out of place, but it’s mostly jeans and t-shirts, so it should be a start.”

Molly slung the bag over her shoulder and hugged the elf. “Thank you, for everything Judy. You’ve been a sprinkle of sanity in all this tumult and confusion.”

“I’m glad you’ve found my presence calming. I can only imagine how this has all been for you.” She handed Molly a large manila envelope that the young woman swore smelled of peppermints and chocolate. “Inside you’ll find your documents, a new driver’s license and date of birth, and anything you need to start your life with the Calvins. There’s also a bank card and information on your bank account. If you need anything else, I’ll get that arranged for you.”

Molly took the papers and thanked Judy again. Quinton spoke up next, stepping forward to shake Molly hand. “Good luck, Molly. I was looking forward to having at least one more tall person around to help out, but perhaps we will get that chance yet.”

Grinning, Molly shook his hand. “Oh, I have no doubt that we will.”

The three elves filtered out of the office, heading back to work with a final farewell to the human. Molly looked over at Bernard. “So do we have to leave this second, or can we take a walk through Elfsburg first?”

Bernard contemplated for a moment before smiling. “I think we could do that. Just let me reload my watch with another battery; I have more than enough magic to transport myself and talk to Charlie, but it’s going to take more for the two of us.” 

He opened the top drawer in his desk and pulled out a small item with a golden glow. It was the shape and size of your typical watch battery and slid easily inside of Bernard’s watch. 

“So explain this to me,” Molly said. “If you’re elves with magic, why do you need extra magic and how does your magic run out?”

“The source of our magic is the North Pole. When the first Santa was found and Elfsburg was created, the elders who helped with its creation fueled the life source of their magic into every fibre of this place. Unfortunately, it also tied the bloodlines of all Christmas elves to the North Pole, meaning it is both the source of our magic and the limits of it.”

“So basically, the longer you are away from the North Pole, the less access you have to the source, and the weaker your magic becomes?”

Bernard nodded. “Basically. The magic we work into these watches is manufactured, but it helps. It too, is limited though, because it comes from us. It’s physically draining, and taking too much can kill us. So, it has its uses, but we are still cautious.”

It made sense--but it also saddened Molly a bit. Even in a world where magic truly existed, that magic was limited by the disbelief of the world itself. She wondered, if the world could be taught to believe in magic, would the Christmas Elves’ power flourish again? 

Breaking away from her thoughts she smiled at Bernard softly. “Well, we better get going then; we don’t want to risk you using up all your magic just to take me to Illinois.” 

They walked down the hallway, and Molly craned her neck to get one last glance at the workshop and the wondrous building surrounding it. She took in every piece of it--the shades of gold, red, and green on the posts, the sparkles glittering off the elves’ cheeks, the machinery—everything. If she never got the chance to return to this place, she wanted every moment of it burned into her memory forever. 

When they reached the main entrance, Molly paused and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. She could feel her anxiety levels spiking, and for just a moment, considered turning on her heels and fleeing back into the workshop. For Bernard’s sake, however, she knew she had to push through it. Her hands were shaking slightly, as she tried to fathom this new life that was set before her. 

Bernard stopped beside the girl, noticing the slight quiver in her shoulders. “Are you okay?”

Molly gave him a short nod. “I will be. It’s just...when we open this door, everything gets real. This new life, leaving here, the fact that I am so far away from home. This door—this moment—changes everything.”

Before he fully realized what he was doing, Bernard moved and pulled the trembling girl into a tight hug, then stepped back, hands on her shoulders, looking her in the eyes. She gave him a perplexed look.

“It doesn’t change everything. Even though you haven’t been here long, you have friends here in Elfsburg. You have me, and right now, we have all the time in the world to become friends. You won’t be alone.”

Taking one last deep breath, Molly smiled, then pulled away and flung open the doors. 

“Let the adventure begin!” 

Chapter Text

With the sweeping open of the large, golden doors, a cool and icy blast hit Molly in the face and she shivered. “I don’t know how you elves enjoy the cold so much,” she muttered, darting a glance at Bernard enviously. While she was bundled up in her giant winter coat, Bernard was only wearing a light sweater over his tunic.

Bernard shrugged. “We don’t feel the cold. Plus, snow is amazing.”

“Amazingly awful,” she teased as she walked towards the steps on her left. “Seriously though, I’d be happy to move somewhere that it’s warm all the time. Like Florida.”

It was snowing lightly in Elfsburg, making the entire village seem like one giant snow globe. Molly’s stomach fluttered at the sight. For a fleeting moment, it felt as if magic were alive in her own heart. The fresh snow landed softly on the steps, and to Molly’ amazement, never became slippery.

Bernard chuckled, following her. “I don’t know if I could handle being hot all the time. I feel like it would be miserable, with no ways to cool down.”

“That’s what air-conditioning and pools are for.”

The town was quiet; no sign of the hustle and bustle of the night before. Molly wondered if most of the elves would be catching up on rest today following the night of chaos, or if it was just the way things went here in Elfsburg. 

Once they moved past the stores nearest the workshop, Molly was surprised to see that most of the elves’ homes looked relatively normal. Gone were the vibrant reds, greens, and golds of the shops encircling the core of Elfsburg, replaced with shades of browns, greys, beiges, creams, and deep reds -- everything one would expect to see in a human subdivision. The homes themselves were still of a modest size; nowhere near the size of most detached homes throughout most cities and towns she had visited. They were slightly smaller than most townhouses Molly used to, with neat and tidy exteriors. Christmas decorations hung on doors and windows, and lights were placed carefully along the rooftops. 

“It’s peaceful here, and surprisingly normal,” Molly mused as they continued to walk through town and along one of the residential streets. 

“Contrary to popular belief, we’re not all sunshine, roses, rainbows, and Christmas every moment of every day,” Bernard said with a laugh. “We have a careful work-life balance, and outside of the workshop life is relatively calm. It’s only around Christmas that we live and breathe it every waking moment.”

“That makes sense.”

Bernard led her through the town, taking her past a small grocery store, barbershop, and several other businesses before they reached the intersection where the polar bear directed traffic.

She stood there staring in awe as the polar bear, who was wearing a complete police uniform, paused and waved at them.

“Morning Bernard!” the bear boomed, causing Molly to jump in surprise.

Smiling, Bernard waved back. “I thought that would be something you’d like to see,” he told the girl, a twinkle in his eye. “Not everything is completely normal in Elfsburg.” He winked, then led her further down the street to a small park.

“You ready?”

Molly took another deep breath and nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Holding out his hand to Molly, he pulled her a little bit closer, then took her other hand. In anticipation –  or fear – the girl squeezed her eyes shut tightly, scrunching her nose. 

“Don’t close your eyes,” Bernard said softly. “There’s nothing to hide from.”

Molly shifted uncomfortably, but opened her eyes again, and gave the head elf a trusting look. 

“Just watch around us.”

A light snow began to swirl around the human and the elf, glittering snowflakes and flashes of magic weaving in and out of the wisps and wind. A cool breeze blew across their faces, and the scenery around them slowly faded to black. Moments later, a new scene began to materialize around them -- Scott Calvin’s street and his house. As the swirling slowed and then dissipated, Molly looked around in wonder. Beyond the cool breeze, she hadn’t felt anything strange. Magic indeed. 

And now – now she stood in front of the house where everything all began. She pulled her hands back from Bernard’s and looked over the scene surrounding her. The imprint in the snow outside of the house where the former Santa had passed was still visible. 

Following her gaze, Bernard gave a slight wave of his hand, and a wind moved across the snow, forcing it to blow and cover the imprint. 

“Scott will have to realize and accept his new reality on his own,” Bernard said. “The imprint won’t help any, and no-one else needs to wonder why there is a human shaped imprint on his yard.”

The sun was peeking over the edge of the horizon, and the world was slowly beginning to come to life. 

“It’s time,” Bernard said, eliciting one more sigh from Molly. 

She straightened her shoulders, pulled the manila envelope out of her pocket, and took another deep breath. “Wish me luck?”

“Good luck.” Bernard’s words sounded more like a whisper in the wind, and when Molly looked back to where he had stood, he was gone. She assumed he was preparing to speak to Charlie while she had Scott distracted. 

Making a silent prayer that her acting skills were at the least, convincing, she began moving towards the front steps, then up to the front door. She could hear Charlie babbling excitedly inside, though she couldn’t make out exactly what the boy was saying. Silently hoping this was going to work, she raised her hand and knocked on the door. 

“Who would be here this early?” she heard Scott grumble as he made his way to the door. 

Moments later the door swung open, and Scott, in all his red pajama glory, stood before her, blinking at her in wonder, annoyance, and surprise all at the same time. He scrunched his nose and squinted, then blinked twice. 

“I’m sorry, do I know you? And can I help you?”

“Merry Christmas, Mr. Calvin!” Molly said cheerfully, then laughed as sweetly as she could -- or at least she hoped it was sweetly. “It’s Molly, your new nanny? We agreed on a December 25 start, last we spoke. You asked me to arrive at 7 a.m. to help get Charlie ready to go with his mother.” She handed the paperwork over to the confused man, who kept looking at her, then the envelope.

“I don’t recall hiring a nanny.” 

Molly smiled at him. “You really don’t remember, Mr. Calvin? We met six months ago when you approached our organization for assistance. You know, the company that specializes in helping divorcees adjust to single parenting and reconnecting with their children?”

Scott pulled out the paperwork and began reading it over, making grunts and ‘huh’ sounds as he read through the letter and the contract. There, on the bottom, was his signature.

“I’m sorry, I had a really weird night, and I honestly don’t remember—”

“Molly!” 

Scott was interrupted as Charlie came running down the hall and threw his arms around the blonde. 

“Merry Christmas!”

He stepped back and winked at Molly as his father looked between his son and the young woman on his doorstep, even more confused.

“You know her?” Scott said in bewilderment. “I mean… it’s weird, I know you too, but you were in my dreams last night and...”

Molly did her best at looking awkward and uncomfortable. “Mr. Calvin, I’m not sure that is appropriate information for you to share.” She was fighting as hard as she could not to burst out laughing, particularly with Charlie staring up at her with a grin and another wink.

Charlie glanced up at his dad. “Of course I know her, dad! You took me to meet her six months ago when you first said you wanted to get a nanny. You said I would get to pick someone I liked, and I picked Molly!”

Scott grunted again, then shivered as the cold finally hit him. “I really don’t remember any of this, but come inside, it’s cold.” 

Once they were all inside, he took her coat and hung it on the rack, then glanced at the single duffle bag sitting on the floor beside her. “That’s all you brought as a live-in nanny?”

Molly shrugged. “I thought it would make more sense to purchase what I need here and just bring the basics. Travel light and all that.” 

Several feet behind Scott, Bernard was standing and smiling. He winked at her and then vanished again. She hoped that meant she was doing well. 

Shaking his head, Scott turned and walked towards the living room, pacing and muttering. “Crazy dreams, not remembering hiring someone… am I losing my mind?”

“They say single parenting after a divorce can be really stressful, especially for someone in a high-stress work environment like yourself,” Molly replied, sounding matter of fact. She hoped it would help sell her being there and make it more believable. 

Scott stopped and glared for a moment at the unsolicited advice, then shook his head again. “Nothing makes sense anymore,” he muttered.

“Hey dad, maybe we should show her to her room? Then you and I can finish opening my presents from Santa!”

Still looking baffled and confused, Scott kept shaking his head and muttering nonsensically. He stopped, sighed, and motioned for the girl to follow him. “We have a spare room in the basement; we don’t go down there often so you’ll have some extra privacy. There’s a bathroom and shower, a small sitting room with a TV. Make yourself at home, and I guess, welcome?”

Molly bit her lip to stifle a laugh as she followed the middle-aged man down the stairs. How he bought it, she didn’t know, but decided to send up a prayer of thanks to the Legendary Council in case it was somehow one of their doing that the new Santa believed the lie. 

The lights flicked on, revealing a cozy-looking basement. Much to Molly’s relief, it was also a finished basement, which thankfully meant no concrete floors, open wires, and hopefully, no spiders. 

“Thank you, Mr. Calvin. I’m just going to unpack some of my things, and then I’ll be upstairs.”

Instead of replying, Scott grunted and returned up the stairs. Once he had completely disappeared, and the door to the basement shut, Molly entered her new room and turned on the light. She jumped in surprise, hand flying to her heart, as Bernard appeared right in front of her.

“Don’t scare me like that!” she exclaimed, heart racing. 

Bernard smiled sheepishly. “Sorry.” He walked over to the bed and sat down, bouncing a couple of times. “Well, at least he believes in high quality furniture.” A quick chuckle, and then he looked around the room. “So, he bought it?”

“I don’t know that he fully believes it, but he believed it enough to let me in.”

“That’s the important thing. Once he starts to accept he’s Santa, you can tell him the truth.”

Molly snorted and Bernard looked at her quizzically. “Good luck with that.”

The elf raised an eyebrow. “Should I ask?”

“Probably not -- the council might get pissed.”

“Good call.” Bernard stood back up. “Is there anything else you need before I go?”

“No, I think I’m good. But, maybe once Scott goes back to work, you and Judy could come for a visit?”

“I think that can be arranged.” He smiled at her. “I’ll see you in a few days.” There was a swirl of snow, glitter, and magic, and the elf was gone. 

This is my life now, Molly thought, not sure whether to feel excited or sad about it. She dumped the duffle bag on the bed, then hurried up the stairs, just in time to hear Charlie shout “Mom!” and run to the door.

As Molly emerged from the basement, a look of sheer panic spread across Scott’s face. 

“How am I going to explain you?”

Molly raised an eyebrow and smirked. “You could tell the truth?”

“That a girl I had a dream about taking Charlie for hot chocolate at the North Pole, after I became Santa Claus, is now my live-in nanny? Oh yes, she’ll for sure get that. Because why wouldn’t anyone believe it?” 

He glared at Molly as she snorted back a laugh. “Well, I’d probably leave out the part about the dream. You know. For good measure and all.”

He scrunched his nose as he walked away mocking her. “You know, for good measure and all,” mimicked as he went to the door. 

“Oh, Charlie! Oh, merry Christmas, honey!” Laura Miller exclaimed, crouching down to greet him as Charlie flung open the door. “Did you have a good time?”

Molly watched as Charlie hugged his mom, then tried to look distracted as Charlie babbled about their night and Scott tried desperately to explain it away. 

“Gee, thanks for keeping his feet on the ground.” Laura’s sarcasm was so thick it could easily have been cut with a dull knife. 

Molly cleared her throat and stepped forward, cutting off Scott’s opportunity to reply and smiled broadly as Laura’s attention snapped over, fury building behind the woman’s eyes.

“Mrs. Miller! It’s a pleasure to finally get to meet you! Mr. Calvin was supposed to arrange a meeting with you before I arrived, but his busy work schedule interfered,” she said, thrusting her hand out to shake the woman’s. 

Laura shot a confused and angry glance at Scott but accepted the young woman’s handshake.

“My name is Molly, and I’m Mr. Calvin’s new nanny!”

“You never mentioned anything about a nanny, Scott. Is she living here?”

Scott stammered nervously, unsure of how to respond. “Well, I uhh--”

“Dad hired her to help him transition into being a single father,” Charlie proclaimed. “I got to meet her months ago and help pick! She’s super nice!”

Laura smiled at her son. “Honey, you go wait in the car for a minute, okay? I'll be right there.”
Charlie ran over and hugged Molly. “Merry Christmas Molly! See you soon!” After hugging Scott, he thanked him for the night at the North Pole and ran out the door.

Laura closed the door slightly behind her son. “Anyone care to tell me what’s going on here?”

Molly smiled sweetly. “I’m sorry Mr. Calvin didn’t tell you. I work for a nannying company that specializes in helping divorced parents adapt to co-parenting their child with their exes. Particularly in situations where they have been… struggling… to make the transition while remaining active participants in their kids’ lives. We’re live-in nannies and help to make the home a safe and welcoming environment.”

Although it didn’t quite seem like she bought it, Laura nodded and gave the girl a smile. “Well, Scott definitely needs the help.” She shot another glance back over at her sheepish looking ex. “Would you mind giving me some time with my ex-husband?”

“Of course, Mrs. Miller. It was a pleasure meeting you.” She turned and walked towards the basement door, then stepped down the stairs and closed the door with a click, sitting on the bottom step while she waited.

Their voices got quieter as they moved outside, and once the front door closed, Molly opened back up the basement door and went to the kitchen to busy herself with anything she could. At this point, she didn’t really need to eavesdrop to know where the conversation was going but couldn’t hold back a snicker when Scott shouted after the Miller’s car as it sped away.

“It was a dream, come on! I don’t even wear pajamas! Normally I sleep naked. Buck naked! Ha!”

Chapter Text

The first week with Scott Calvin was one of the strangest weeks of her life. Molly felt as if she was in a fog for most of it, still attempting to adjust to this new reality. She was amazed at how clean Calvin was. He was a neat freak. In watching the movies throughout her life, Molly had always just assumed he hired house cleaners. But she quickly discovered, after setting a coffee on the end table without a coaster, that Calvin was obsessed with a clean place.

“No coaster, no coffee,” he had grunted, tossing her a dish cloth to wash the small ring while he went and got her a coaster. 

Perhaps the biggest surprise had been how kind he was when he wasn’t hiding behind his cocky, businessman complex. She shouldn’t have been caught totally off guard, since by the second movie his kindness shone through, but Molly had always attributed that to his becoming Santa. 

It made sense, though. There had to be something that had compelled Laura to fall in love with him, something beyond the subpar personality he exhibited in the movies. 

Most of her time was spent settling in – things like figuring out the method to the madness of his kitchen, identifying the nearest grocery store, and what amenities were nearby. So far, her favourite find had been a quaint bookstore a few blocks away, featuring a small coffee shop as an extension. Taking the time to read, to go somewhere outside of the house, gave her time to escape the crushing loneliness she had been starting to feel so far away from friends, family, or her elven acquaintances. 

Even though it had only been a week, it had been enough time for the total reality of her situation to set in. She might never see her family, her friends, her dog, or her school again. Her hopes and dreams for the life she wanted to live might never be realized if this world was where she would remain. And, of course, it was still difficult to accept that the world she had always dreamed of being sucked into wasn’t filled with as much sunshine and rainbows as she had hoped.

She soon settled into a routine of visiting the bookstore after finishing dinner prep in the early afternoon. The walk took about twenty minutes, crossing through the busy residential neighbourhood and into a small commercial area with a few shops, a couple restaurants, and a grocery store. 

Molly was thrilled to make the walk, most days, but it was rang even truer on this particular day. The sun was shining brightly, cutting the cruelty out of the cold air. Snow crunched under her feet, and her breath fogged in front of her as she walked. During her first trip there, she was pleased to discover the books seemed to be pretty much the same as from her world and had picked up a couple that had been on her to-read list for a while. 

She clutched The Count of Monte Cristo to her chest while she walked, looking forward to the snuggling into the corner table with the comfy bean bag chair and a hot coffee. 

The bells on the door chimed as she entered, and the daytime barista, whose name she had learned was Jed, flashed her a smile. In her many visits, Molly had learned that Jed attended evening classes at the local community college. She had to admit she had begun to look forward to conversations with them, and had at times wondered if the attractive barista, with short, sandy brown hair and thick-rimmed black glasses, might be a good way to try and forget about Bernard.

The café and bookstore smelled of damp must and crisp paper, the kind of smell one hoped to find in an old library or store. It was the alluring smell of books, the one that gave a sense of warmth and comfort. 

“Back again?” Jed asked as Molly shook off the snow from her jacket, and hung it on a coat-tree near the door.

“It’s the best spot to read in town,” she replied cheerfully, heading to her usual spot. The solace provided by positioning herself in a corner, by a window where the world felt open and accessible, almost made her feel like she was home again. She always took a similar position when out on ‘writing dates’ with her friends at any of the coffee shops in their small town. Something about it fostered creativity and took her away from the real world as much as it made her feel like part of it.

It was nice having a place that felt familiar to her, where people knew what her order was, and were content to let her disappear into a book for a while.

A few moments later, Jed brought over her steaming coffee. 

“I added a splash of hazelnut on the house.”

Molly smiled, inhaling the deep, nutty scent of the hazelnut mixing with the fragrant aroma of the espresso. One of her favourite smells in the world. “Thanks, Jed. That’s sweet.” 

Jed nodded, glancing at her book with interest. “The Count of Monte Cristo, huh?”

“I’ve only ever read it in French before, and I really wanted to read the English version to compare. The French version was beautiful, but it can be hard to fully appreciate the depth of the story when you’re trying to translate it as you read.”

Jed crossed their arms, looking impressed. “In French? Was this just for fun or?”

“Oh, goodness no! I love French, and I’m fairly fluent, but when I read it’s for pure enjoyment. This was for a school assignment in high school. We had to read it in French and do a book report. It was quite the challenge.”

“I can imagine.” They smiled again. “I’ll let you get off to historic France then.”

Molly took a sip of her latte before diving into her book. She was several pages in when someone nearby cleared their throat.

“Is this seat taken?” 

Bernard’s voice sounded like music to her ears, and though she tried to stop the slight flutter she felt and quell her excitement, she looked up with a wide smile. Jed was cute, but their appearance didn’t make her stomach flop the way Bernard did. The elf had traded his usual outfit for a pair of faded blue jeans and a casual black button-up shirt. His braids had been replaced by long, curly locks of hair that fell across his forehead. She flushed slightly, realizing that she was staring, mesmerized by his dancing eyes. 

“Only by you,” she stammered, realizing only after the words had left her mouth that it could have sounded flirtatious. She would have kicked herself if she could, mortified that her social awkwardness and anxiety were coming into play. Biting her lip, she prayed she could keep herself calm and her typical anxiety-babble wouldn’t trigger from the nerves she was now feeling.

The elf didn’t seem to notice as he settled into the bean bag chair across from her. Molly felt her anxiety lessen and internally sighed in relief. Deep breaths, woman. Deep breaths. Bernard reached over and picked up her latte, sniffing it.

“Hazelnut. Nice touch,” he commented, then put it down and slid it back towards her. His eyes lingered for a moment on her book, eyebrow momentarily raising, before he looked at her directly.

“So how have things been going?” 

Molly snorted a laugh in reaction. “This is by far the most ridiculous thing I have done in my life. Seriously, how he believes this entire thing is beyond me. He hasn’t even questioned our story once.”

“Maybe it’s Christmas magic?”

Molly glanced up to see if Bernard meant it or if he was being facetious. The expression on his face was completely serious. Her internal desire for magic to exist was currently at battle with her logical half, the part that still couldn’t fully believe any of this was real. And even when she could accept it, even in recognizing she was in a place where magic thrived, her logical side still could not accept the actual involvement of magic in everyday life. 

As that logic won the internal argument, she blinked and said, “You’re kidding, right?”

“I don’t kid about Christmas magic,” he said quietly. Much to Molly’s relief, he didn’t look offended – just serious. Contemplative, even. “Some of it can be explained, like the way it works through us. But other aspects? It is its own life form, its own entity. Christmas magic has caused some pretty incredible, unexplainable things before.”

A pensive expression crossed Molly’s face for a moment as she pondered his words. The movies had never delved into anything beyond the limited access of Santa and the elves. The only thing she really knew was that it was the belief of children around the world that gave the magic continued life.

“Would Santa’s magic begin to work even before he fully accepts who is he?”

“Yes, the moment he puts on the suit and accepts the clause. The entire transfer begins immediately.” Cocking his head to the side, Bernard smiled, realizing where she was going with this. “The magic could be making him believe what he needs to believe.”

She found herself silently thanking whoever was in charge of this world, of this universe, for this small gift. She honestly didn’t know what she would have done if the council had merely bid her to find a new life, or if Scott hadn’t bought the ridiculous lie. And while there was so much she needed to figure out, at least this was working out in her favour.

“Well, at least someone – or something – is on my side here.”

***
Hours after Bernard had returned to Elfsburg, he had not been able to stop thinking about what Molly had said. 

At least someone – or something – is on my side here.

When she had spoken those words, her voice had faltered with a sense of weariness, though Bernard wasn’t sure she was aware it had. He sat on his couch; the blanket Molly had used when she slept there was now wrapped around him. He hadn’t kept it out on purpose, and the chill seemed to be getting to him as he replayed the conversation over in his mind. The blanket still faintly smelled of her, a faint scent of lavender and vanilla that he attributed to whatever shampoo she had used in her world. 

The moment she had looked up at him from her book, he had detected the darkness in her eyes – the same darkness he had detected when she first left Elfsburg, only now far more apparent. He didn’t have to wonder why that cloud of sadness and depression seemed to be growing around her and he kicked himself for not having thought about the risk of it sooner. She was alone in an unknown world. While a week might not be long in some ways, to suddenly be in an unfamiliar place without anyone to reach out to… well, it made sense why she seemed to be struggling the way she was. 

Bernard hadn’t wanted to wait a whole week before seeing her but had told himself it would be better for her to have a chance to settle in. 

Now, he kicked himself, realizing the choice was the wrong one. He didn’t want to admit it, but part of his absence was the fear she created in him. They hadn’t known each other long and yet he already found himself drawn to her and wanting to be around her. He felt as though they had connected on a deeper level, found an understanding in one another, and that terrified him. 

He recalled for a moment when Judy had excitedly told him about elf she had just met in wrapping, describing how they hit it off immediately, the attraction and electricity between them evident from the moment they locked eyes.

“It was like our souls somehow knew each other and rejoiced immediately at meeting once again,” she had said. 

Bernard didn’t know that he would go quite that far with Molly, but he couldn’t deny that something had sparked between them from the moment they had met. Even amidst the near-literal sparks of their argument. 

There was a sharp rap at his door, and almost as if summoned by his thoughts, Judy poked her head inside. 

“You seemed really distracted when you got back, so I thought you could use some cocoa and a friend,” she said, smiling as she approached with a large travel mug of hot cocoa in her hand. 

Bernard thanked her and popped open the lid, inhaling the sweet scent before taking a big gulp. It was a soothing taste and Bernard felt himself relax slightly.

“I’m guessing this has to do with a certain human?” Judy’s eyes twinkled as she tucked her feet underneath her on the chair and settled in. 

With a sigh, Bernard gripped his mug in both hands. “How much time do you have?”

Chapter Text

Opening up to Judy had helped somewhat, if only to remind Bernard that there was no way he could make the right choice every time – and that sometimes there was no right choice. They were all doing the best they could in this situation. Of course, Judy had also tried to convince him that the feelings he was struggling with were actual feelings for Molly, but he refused to accept that. Judy’s dating experience had been the exception, not the norm, and based on his own dating history, a swift connection simply wasn’t in the cards. Or so he tried to tell himself. 

Despite those efforts, it hadn’t stopped Molly’s tired eyes and sad smile from featuring in his dreams that night, and he awoke to a yearning to hold her until everything was alright again. A feeling, he told himself, that was nothing more than the lingering trick of the dream. 

Still, he knew he wanted to do something to help give her some peace and help her feel less alone. Molly had acted without hesitation to try and bring his moods up when he was struggling with the weight of change on Christmas Eve. Now, it was his turn to repay her the same kindness.

He stuck a few extra watch batteries in his bag, changed into a more human-like outfit, and when he knew Scott would have left for work, directed his magical device to take him straight to the Calvin residence. 

By now, Molly was able to pick up on the slight shift in the air that identified Bernard’s arrival and turned to face him as he materialized amidst the swirling flakes. Molly grinned at the sight of him. 

“What are you doing here?”

Bernard stepped forward and took the dishtowel she was holding, tossing it in the sink. “We’re going somewhere to get you out of this rut.” He grabbed Molly by the hand and started to adjust the location on his watch.

“I don’t know what rut you’re talking about,” she complained stubbornly. 

“The sulking,” he teased. “You need to get out of your own head for a bit.”

He knew the things she was struggling with were deeper than mere sulking, but she didn’t strike him as the kind of person who liked to be called straight out on her looming darkness.

Bernard smirked as she followed him with no further complaint. Though he wasn’t fully ready to admit it to himself, this wasn’t entirely for her benefit. Since leaving her with Santa, he had barely been able to stop worrying and wondering about her. She intrigued him, having one of the strangest and most vibrant, multifaceted personalities he had ever encountered. He wanted the opportunity to spend more time with her, get to know her – on a platonic level, of course, he insisted to himself.

“Where are we going?”

“To my favourite place.”

He grabbed onto Molly as he finished plugging in the coordinates and let the magic flow through him, their destination becoming his focus point. The Calvin’s kitchen faded through wisps of glittery magic, slowly melting into a green jungle.

This was his oasis -- his private space in the world. Untouched by mankind, this hidden space had been his thinking spot and escape for hundreds of years. Bright colourful flowers grew along jagged rocks, amidst the trees, and scattered through the long grass. In the centre of the area, at the foot of a large drop was a crystal-clear pond, filled with rainbow fish darting and dancing through the water. Foliage painted in every shade of green surrounded them, and a small grassy knoll sat perfectly beside the water. 

He watched as Molly let out a long breath, staring around in amazement. The way her eyes lit up as she took in every inch of the space made Bernard feel proud. He had made the right choice in bringing her here. 

“Are we…” she paused and looked around. “Is this real?” Her bewildered expression faded as a small smile itched at the corner of her mouth.

“It is,” Bernard said, as he walked towards the knoll and motioned for her to follow. “Welcome to the Amazon.” 

Grinning at her, he snapped his fingers, his outfit instantly replaced by a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. One of the benefits of coming to this place was not needing any magic beyond getting there and back. It meant things like not having to pack a change of clothes in advance.

Molly sat down and began taking off her boots and sweater, then rolled up the base of her jeans. Standing back up, she tilted her face towards the sunlight as if absorbing its very essence. Her eyes were closed and a broad smile crossed her face. In that moment, it was almost as if she was coming back to life -- as if the sun was breathing energy and light directly into her.

She stepped towards the water, cautiously, and looked over her shoulder at Bernard. 

“Is the water safe?”

He nodded, and she sat down, dangling her legs and kicking the water lightly. Following her over, Bernard did the same, sitting down about a foot away from her. 

“I’d love to hear more about you, about your life.” He realized the small-talk statement wasn’t exactly the best way to get to know her but couldn’t think of another way to ease into a conversation about her.

“What do you want to know?” Her response was calm, steady, and without hesitation.

“I don’t know,” he replied. “You’re 18 -- what do you want to do with your life? Go to college? Pursue something else?”

Molly threw her head back and laughed loudly, surprising Bernard. He hadn’t expected such basic questions to seem humourous. 

When she stopped laughing, Molly caught his apprehension and cleared her throat. “Sorry. It’s just, when you’re in your last year of high school, or your victory lap, that question basically gets asked every single day.” She paused, looking thoughtful. “To be honest, I’m not really sure. I planned on taking a year off to sort myself out. I’ve thought about maybe being a high school English teacher or a journalist, but I don’t know which one I’d be better suited for.”

Bernard watched her intently, noticing how she became more animated, her eyes lighting up as she spoke about these possibilities. 

“Why an English teacher? Or a journalist, for that matter?”

“I love writing, and I love literature. It’s like my life-blood -- it’s the driving force behind everything I am, everything I live for. English teacher because I would have the opportunity to help ignite this fire in other teenagers -- to show them how wonderful it can truly be, and to help them find the light inside themselves that can shine through the written word. Journalism, because I want to change the world, and I believe the written word has the power to do that. To take the truth and use words to help people reconsider their views. To share the stories of others and of events that need telling through the view of someone who believes in the true goodness of humanity.”

Her voice thundered with a sense of certainty while simultaneously carrying with it a soft tenderness, filled with compassion and hope. Bernard marveled at the life that came out of her words, out of her very being, as she shared the roots of her passion and explained how writing had been her best friend, even through the darkest of times. 

It took him a few moments, but as he listened, he found himself enthralled by this driving force that seemed to echo from her very soul. Santa and the elves were passionate, but not in the same way. This reverberated from every ounce of her being. It burned out of her like a fire burning from her very existence. 

Noticing his stare, Molly blushed. “Stop me if I’m rambling too much. I tend to go off on tangents.”

He shook his head. “No, please continue. I want to hear your story.”

Molly took a deep breath, and appearing slightly more composed, continued. “There were a lot of struggles in my life. I mean, in some ways I had it really easy. I’m from a middle-class family, grew up in a nice area in town, excelled at school, never went without. But in other ways, life has been hard, and it’s been cruel. When everything in the world was crushing me and darkness threatened to drown me, it was my writing that kept me alive. When I didn’t understand the pain and loss, my writing comforted me. Even if it was just my own thoughts swirling as I put ink to paper, it stopped them from bouncing around in my head, trapping me in my own musings. And when I wanted nothing more than to die, my writing gave me a reason to go on.”

She kicked her feet in the water, then looked over at him and smiled sadly. “There has been so much hurt, so much hate in my life. I discovered a long time ago that the words that have been written for hundreds of years, and even the words I write, have a way of giving people hope. Of breathing life back into them. I want to do that for others. To give them the anchor to life that my writing gave me. To give them a reason to push through the darkness.”

Bernard exhaled deeply, as if the wind had been knocked out of him. Although she hadn’t gone into detail about her experiences, the power -- the intensity -- in which she described their impact on her hit him like a punch to the gut. Her eyes were still sad as she smiled again.

“It’s silly, I know. To think that one insignificant person could be that.” 

This young woman -- this bubbly and intense human being -- carried the burdens of the world and wanted nothing more than to save it. Idealistic, maybe, but it was the kind of idealism that felt almost infectious and he found himself thinking he could listen to her talk like this for hours.

“Sorry.” She looked down at the ground almost sheepishly, embarrassed again. “That turned dark real fast.”

“Don’t apologize.” As if instinctually, Bernard reached over and held her arm lightly, giving it a squeeze. “I’m… I’m thankful you felt comfortable enough to share that with me.”

She placed her hand over his in thanks and smiled, then let go. Bernard moved his hand away, unsure of what to say. As if reading his mind, Molly gave him the same sheepish, bubbly grin from when he first met her.

“Enough about me, what about you? Did you always want to be a head elf?”

Respecting her desire to change the subject, Bernard shook his head. “Actually, no. Believe it or not, I wanted to do something in the human world.” He sighed, thinking back several hundred years earlier to his younger days. He was never an idealist, nothing like the girl who was watching him curiously. But he had a thirst for adventure, for immersing himself in the unfamiliar and learning about it. For him, that had been the human world. But it had only been mere wishful thinking. Something that ended as quickly as it came on.

“The Head Elves come from a group of six different elf families -- similar to what you humans call ‘noble’ bloodlines. The eldest, or only child, from each family, are expected to attend a program designed specifically to train for the position, should it ever become available. We work in the workshop like the others until the previous head elf retires, at which point the current Santa will interview the six candidates, and with the guidance of the council, pick the new head elf.”

“So you never got to pursue your own dreams?”

It was his turn to smile sadly. “Elves don’t have dreams. We live for keeping the spirit of Christmas alive.”

Looking pensive, Molly asked. “How old are you? I mean, in comparison to humans. Like, what “age” would you be at this stage in life if you weren’t an elf?”

“Probably around 22.”

Molly shuffled closer and took his hand in her own. It wasn’t a romantic gesture, but meant to comfort him. Even still, there was something almost electric at her touch. She waited until he looked at her, staring him straight in the eyes. He held his breath as he stared back, the blues of her irises glistened with the same passion as before.

“You’re still young, old man. When you retire from this position, you’ll still be young. And then? Elven expectations be damned. Live the life you want. Because really, who’s going to stop you?”

His heart thundered in his chest as he held her gaze. No-one had ever said anything like that to him before. No-one had ever believed he could be more than just head elf. And until this very moment, he hadn’t even considered the possibility. But here was this human, from another world, igniting something inside him, a little whisper that life outside of Christmas could be at his fingertips.

Chapter Text

Molly sat with Charlie outside of his principal’s office, listening as the Millers, Scott, and Principal Compton argued about Charlie’s presentation. 

“Scott, oh grow up!” 

Laura’s raised voice seeped into the hallway, and Charlie looked down at his feet, upset by the current situation.

“I don’t understand, why won’t dad tell the truth?” he asked, turning to look up at Molly with tears in his eyes. “Why are they all so mad?”

Molly sighed and ran her hand through her hair. “It’s… complicated, Charlie. Adults have trouble believing in these things, even when they’ve seen them. It doesn’t fit in with logic, so they don’t think it can be real.”

“But I’m not a liar!” He kicked the ground, scuffing the flooring with his shoe. 

“I know, kiddo.” She wrapped her arm around him, pulling him into a side hug, and ruffled his hair. “They think it’s an imagination thing. It’s the only explanation that can work for them.”

“You know the truth though! I don’t understand why you can’t tell them!” He pulled away, looking at her eyes wide, as if he had just discovered the solution.

“I can’t, Charlie,” she said, wincing at the look of disappointment and betrayal in the boy’s face. “I’m sorry. It’s another one of those… complicated things.”

“Why is everything with adults always so complicated?” he huffed, thumping back angrily in his chair. 

Molly smiled slightly, wishing for a moment that kind of innocence could instruct reality. Things were so simple as a kid. 

“It’s just the way they are, Charlie. Adults like everything to make sense, everything to work out their way. And when it doesn’t, it scares them. They get upset, and things turn into complicated messes. Your dad will get there, I promise. Just be patient with him.”

Charlie crossed his arms angrily but nodded before huffing again. “I guess I can.”

The door opened and the three adults stormed out, none of them looking happy. Laura looked pointedly at Molly as she pulled Charlie to his feet.

“Please tell me you’re not feeding into this delusion,” she pleaded, the desperate look of a mother beyond worried about her child flashing in her eyes.

“Absolutely not, Mrs. Miller,” Molly lied, flashing the sincerest smile she could muster up.

Laura nodded and began pulling Charlie down the hall, Neal falling into step beside them.

“Come on Charlie, we’re leaving,” Laura said as they went.

Charlie looked back over his shoulder at Molly, and she winked at him encouragingly, prompting a momentary smile on his saddened face. When she looked over at Scott, he was watching her with a strange look on his face.

“What was that about, with Charlie just now?”

Molly shrugged. “He was sad, I made a silly face at him. It’s my job to help him navigate all this as much as it is my job to help you. He’s disappointed his dad won’t remember what he thinks is reality. He just needs to feel like the whole world isn’t against him, you know?”

Scott looked pensive for a moment, but didn’t respond. In fact, he didn’t say anything until they were inside the car, driving back to his home. 

“I’m taking Charlie out this afternoon. I’m going to tell him I’m not Santa Claus. That it was all a dream,” he explained, sounding unsure of his decision. “Damnit. You know, this is the first time since we split that Charlie has wanted to spend time with me? That he’s looked at me as more than the man he’s legally required to spend time with. That he’s actually treated me like I’m his dad.”

Sitting there in silence and letting Scott rant, Molly wished she could tell him everything. Wished she could assure him that Charlie was right, that their growing relationship was based on reality. Instead, she picked at her nails in frustration, trying to keep herself from saying the wrong thing.

“He worships the ground Neal walks on. It’s always Neal this, Neal that, Neal taught me this, Neal taught me that. Until now, he was always comparing me to Neal. And it’s my own fault, really. I wasn’t there for him. But, is it so wrong for me to just want my son to look at me like I’m his hero again?”

“No, it’s not.” Molly paused, unsure if she should say anything more. She didn’t want to say anything that might change the course of the story. But if she didn’t say anything, her silence could do the same. “I think you need to tell Charlie whatever you feel you need to tell him. He trusts you. Trust him.”

“I don’t remember kids your age being so wise,” Scott mused, as he pulled out into the driveway.

I don’t think there are many kids my age sucked into stories and forced to act likewise adults, she thought to herself. Out loud she said, “What can I say, it’s a gift.”

After Scott left, Molly pulled some meat and onions out of the fridge and began prepping dinner. It was going to be a late meal, what with Scott and Charlie taking their walk, and Molly wanted to have it ready for when he returned. She chopped up the onions, added some spices to the roast, and popped it into the oven, nearly jumping out of her mind as a voice behind her said:

“Hello!”

Molly spun around, hand flying to her chest in shock, only to see Judy and a male elf standing beside her.

“Jeez, Judy! You elves have got to stop sneaking up on people like that.”

Judy looked bashful for a moment. “Sorry, I’ll work on that.” She stood with one arm behind her back, clearly concealing something. “By the way, this is Fred, my boyfriend.” 

Fred smiled and tipped his hat at Molly. He had short, blonde hair, blue eyes, and a pleasant manner. Definitely seemed the type she had pictured Judy with. 

Molly closed the oven door and wiped her hands off on a damp rag, before walking over and holding out her hand to Fred. “It’s nice to meet you, Fred.”

Fred grinned broadly and shook her hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you, our ‘mystery’ guest from another world!”

“Only a few bad things, I hope?” Molly winked over at Judy.

“I would say nothing of the sort!” she retorted, only realizing afterwards Molly was joking. “Oh… you knew that.” She cleared her throat, slightly embarrassed, and pulled her arm out from behind her back, revealing a box of Scrabble.

“We thought you might enjoy some company, and a good game,” Judy said. “While Scott’s out.”

Molly smiled in appreciation. “I think that sounds wonderful. I’d love a game of Scrabble.”

After an hour, the game was wrapping up, Molly finding herself shocked that she was losing the game for the first time in her life. She had always been the walking dictionary, but Fred and Judy were showing her up. She gaped as Judy won the game, racking in a huge score with the word quizzify.

“Don’t feel too badly,” Fred said encouragingly. “We do have several hundred years on you.”

Molly sighed, leaning her head into both her hands. “Well, I guess I was going to lose at some point in my life.” She laughed, shook her head, and then looked back up. “I’m going to have to start reading the dictionary again to prep for our rematch.”

Just as they finished cleaning up, a car door shut in the driveway.

“That’s our cue,” Judy said with a wink, and she and Fred bounced away, hand-in-hand, before vanishing into thin air, glitter dancing about for a moment. 

Molly moved to the kitchen, pulling out some plates and utensils as Scott walked in the door. 

“I’ve told you before, you don’t have to cook for me,” Scott said as he walked in, sniffing the air. “Smells amazing, though.”

Shrugging, Molly pulled the roast and some potatoes out of the oven. “I like cooking, and you don’t. Works well in my books.”

Scott was unusually quiet as Molly served dinner and put the plates on the table. He picked up his fork and poked at the food, then lout out a loud, frustrated sigh and leaned back in the chair.

“I lied to him,” he said quietly. “I stood there, and like some idiot, I lied to my son and told him I believe I’m Santa Claus. I played right into his fantasy, just to keep his affection. I wanted to tell him the truth, but when I started, he just looked so devastated. So I lied to him.”

He thumped his hand angrily on the table, disappointment in himself etched all over his face. 

“I lied to my own damn son.”

These were the things that the viewers never saw -- the moments in between where real life, real reactions happened. In between the arrogance and snark, was a struggling father.

Molly put down her own fork, and when Scott looked over at her, she shrugged. 

“Parents lie to their kids all the time. I don’t mean in a malicious way, either. They lie about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, about Narnia and its secret portals to worlds breathed to life by Lions. They lie by promising their kids they’ll be safe every time they go out the front door, by promising nothing bad will ever happen to them. There’s nothing wrong with letting your kids have a little magic in their childhood.”

She paused, noting that Scott was watching her thoughtfully. “Charlie’s what, 7, 8? When I was ten, my uncles told me a story about fairies living in the forest. In the back of my mind, I knew it wasn’t true, but I chose to believe it anyways.”

“Why?” Scott asked.

“Because it splashed some colour into a dreary world. It allowed me to feel like there was something wonderful sleeping under the edges of reality. Charlie’s a smart kid. He knows the truth. Right now, he’s seeing the man his dad is, beneath the mask, and the man he knows his dad can be. Santa is just allowing him to see it.”

Biting his lip, Scott let out a long breath, shook his head, and laughed quietly. “That’s quite the conclusion. You’re not wrong, though.”

He laughed again. “Man, where were you fiftee---”

Molly choked and held up her finger, stopping him. “No, just don’t even go there. We don’t need to make this awkward.”

“Good point.” Scott chuckled again and began to eat his dinner. 

Chapter Text

After that day, something began to change in Scott, shifting in the foundation of his being. There seemed to be more appearances of his softer side, thoughtfulness coming through where the sharper, more self-focused businessman persona used to rule. Little things, but noticeable. Holding open the doors for someone running behind, tipping baristas at the coffee shop – even in the way he greeted his neighbours and coworkers.

He often wore a questioning look on his face, the only physical sign so far of the inner battle happening – as if a part of him were starting to recognize and accept that maybe his lie wasn’t quite a lie.

Molly did her best to not push things along, encouraging him only where it seemed natural to do so – focusing on acknowledging changing behaviours, nudging him to continue seeing things in a different way. Keeping mentions of the Santa Clause as minimal as possible, only conversing if Scott brought it up.

Thankfully, Laura and Neil had begun to warm up to her, seeing the positive effect she had on Charlie. They were less aware of the changes Scott was experiencing, and the tension between the exes continued to grow. Laura was becoming more distrustful of Scott, and given what happened in the movies, had to wonder if they only reason the time he spent with his son wasn’t being decreased yet was because of her presence there.

Most days now, when Scott left for work, Molly spent her mornings researching local universities and programs for teaching or journalism. While she may not have been the most organized person throughout her life, she didn’t want to wrap up this adventure without some kind of idea of the options that may be available to her.

When she finished cleaning and prepping dinner each day, she’d meet up with Judy and Bernard for board games or simply hanging out at the coffee shop. Over the past month and a bit, Judy had stayed at the Pole, offering apologies about needing to start organizing things ahead of Christmas, and leaving Bernard and Molly to spend their afternoons just the two of them.

Neither seemed to mind however, as they had continued to grow closer in their friendship. To anyone watching, it was clear their comfort with one another – and maybe even the comfort they derived from each other’s presences – was growing.

Where they once sat across from each other at the coffee shop, they now sat on the same side of the table, or both on the couch, shoulder to shoulder.

One afternoon in late October, the two were once again back at the shop, cozied up together on the couch. Molly sat with her legs up on the couch, bent to the side, and leaning into Bernard, as she wrote furiously in a notebook. Bernard was buried in a book – something Molly had told him was referred to as ‘dark romantasy’, arm draped casually over her shoulder as he sat.

The first time he had done it, he hadn’t even realized he was making the gesture, until his arm was around her and he had felt Molly freeze in surprise for a moment.

Bernard’s cheeks had flushed pink, and neither said anything or looked at one another. He wasn’t sure what to do, so he left his arm there, as to hopefully not make it more awkward. After a while – and with Molly not pulling away – he had found he actually enjoyed the comfort of their closeness. With so many years since he had had any sort of physical affection – including platonic contact – he found these moments where they were so near had awoken within him a need for more of it. It was a comfort, a sense of familiarity and calmness, and when he was back at the North Pole, he missed it – missed Molly – more than he wanted to admit.

Molly, being Molly, was having an internal battle about the situation, telling herself not to read into his actions as anything more than platonic, yet struggling to prevent herself from doing so. Of course, her crush on Bernard had started as her character obsession. But over the past 10 months, in some ways she had forgotten about him as that character. He was no longer this enigma – he was her friend, a man who loved reading, hot cocoa, and sarcasm, who felt the weight of the world and put the entirety of the success of Christmas on his own shoulders. He was a kind and gentle soul who carried a darkness that maybe wasn’t quite like her own, but that she understood and was able to sit through with him.

As they sat together on this particular day, Molly couldn’t help but wondering whether she could convince Bernard to stay in the human world if she were to remain there. Not as anything other than friends, she had reminded herself quickly, but to give them both the chance at new lives. Bernard loved the North Pole, loved Christmas sure enough, but maybe in this reality, Scott’s leadership would afford the head elf the opportunity to take a step back.

Molly hadn’t noticed that her writing had stopped as she followed the thought train, or that she had begun tapping the end of her pen on the page without realizing it.

After a few minutes of the tapping, Bernard sighed, unable to focus on his book any longer, and looked down at the half-empty page in front of Molly. He had noticed the pen tapping seemed to coincide with Molly getting lost deeply in her own thoughts.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked, reaching across and holding down the pen.

“Oh, uhm, nothing really.” Molly removed the pen from underneath Bernard’s hand and shot him an apologetic look. “Sorry, I didn’t know I was doing it again.”

“See, that’s how I know you’re thinking about something. You only do that when you’re thinking really hard.”

Molly seemed surprised to hear Bernard had taken note of her behaviours. She blushed as she began to talk. “I was just thinking… if things work out with Scott. Would you ever consider moving to the human world for the off-season? We could get a place together – as friends of course – and you’d be able to experience something new.”

“I’d never thought of that possibility before.” Bernard frowned, turning it over in his head. “I suppose, if things are really organized, there’s no reason why I couldn’t. We could always—“. He paused, a worried expression crossing his face. “Wait, you’re not revealing something you shouldn’t with this conversation?”

Molly shook her head. “Not at all. This musing completely comes from looking at the situation as though I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Molly shifted out from under his arm, putting her feet on the ground so she could turn to look at him. “Would you want to? I mean, I’m not asking you to commit to it, but is it something you’d want to consider?”

Bernard sat quietly for a moment, watching the earnest look in her eyes. “You’d want me to stay with you?”

“Of course! Aside from the fact that you’re one of the few people I know here… I like being around you. You make me feel safe. You give me the feeling closest to what I would get calling this place home.” Molly suddenly looked very flustered. “I mean, it’s not just because of what I want, to be clear. I was just thinking, you know, maybe you don’t need to wait until you retire to try living a life outside of the North Pole. And what better way to see if you actually enjoy it or if you find being Head Elf is really what you prefer.”

As Molly spoke, Bernard found himself stuck on the first part.

You make me feel safe.

His stomach had started to flutter with an intensity that almost made him leap to his feet to try and slow it down.

You make me feel safe.

Bernard knew words were powerful, but this reaction was something he hadn’t anticipated.

You make me feel safe.

Though he didn’t intentionally read into her declaration that way, he found himself suddenly overwhelmed with the need to always make her feel safe. To be a stable force within Molly’s life. As he thought about the possibility of spending more time with her, of being a constant presence in her life, his heart began to beat faster.

Molly stopped talking, some of her bangs falling in front of her face as she turned her head. Instinctively, Bernard reached out and brushed them behind her ear, hand hovering still a moment.

“For you, yes… I would want to find a way,” he said quietly.

Her eyes shone and she bit her lip, unsure of how to react to the sudden affectionate gesture.

Bernard’s eyes shifted to her mouth, and the thundering in his heart grew as he found himself suddenly wondering how they would feel against his own lips.

Molly opened her mouth to say something just as Bernard jerked his head back suddenly, terrified of where his mind had just gone. He stiffened slightly, suddenly looking unsure of himself, rattled even. He closed his book and stood sharply.

“It’s getting late, I should get you home.”

“Oh…” Molly found herself confused about what had just happened. She wouldn’t go so far as to say they were having a moment. No, Molly had been fighting harder and harder to convince herself Bernard’s actions were platonic and nothing more. But she couldn’t deny the intensity of that moment, and the head elf’s reaction left her feeling as though she had done something wrong.

She packed up her stuff, noting that Bernard seemed to stop meeting her eyes, acting distracted and almost distant. They walked back to Scott’s house in silence, Molly clutching her bag in front of her, biting back tears. She didn’t know what to say, what conversation to strike up. One minute Bernard had been saying yes, he wanted to consider moving to the human world with her, the next, he seemed almost furious. Had she overstepped? Was his reaction one of discomfort? Was his response him trying to placate her? Molly’s mind raced and she felt dizzy.

It felt like hours until they reached the usual spot they had agreed the elves would leave her, keeping themselves out of sight of Scott’s house. Molly gathered her courage and finally spoke.

“Will I see you tomorrow?”

Bernard gave her a strained nod. “Of course, I wouldn’t miss it.”

His tone came out sharp, almost choked, and Molly felt her stomach drop. What had happened? What did she do? She forced a smile, pretending not to notice the edge to Bernard’s voice. “Great! Have a good night then!”

Molly walked more quickly than she had in a long time, trying to disappear from view into the house as she bit back tears, feeling them building in the corners of her eyes. Scott’s car was already in the driveway as she drew near – Laura’s too. They hadn’t anticipated a visit tonight. Molly wiped away the almost tears, steadied herself, and clenched her fists. If she was about to play damage control, she couldn’t be worrying about her own dramatic issues. She shook her head to clear it, then opened the front door.

***

The moment Molly was no longer in his line of sight, Bernard let out a sharp breath he was sure he had been holding for ages, feeling shaky and unsteady. He reached an arm out to the tree beside him to hold himself up as he stared after her.

When had this happened? When had she suddenly gotten such a hold on him that he’d walk away from the North Pole without hesitation for her? A part of him knew those feelings had been growing steadily over the past few months. He had found himself more than wanting to be near her, being around her. Earlier was not the first time he had the sudden urge to reach out and touch her – it was merely the first time he had acted before being able to stop himself.

At some point between becoming one of his best friends and this moment, Bernard’s affections had begun to grow beyond friendship, and he had tried to fight it every step of the way. The uncertainty of her future in their world made anything beyond friendship a risky commitment. It might have been more than 500 years since Bernard had had his heart broken, but he didn’t want to face that possibility again.

“What in the twelve days of Christmas is wrong with you Bernard?” he growled at himself as he activated his watch and began the shift back to the North Pole.

Chapter Text

Molly opened the front door to Scott's house to be met with loud voices coming from the kitchen. She paused, unsure as to whether it would be beneficial for her to interrupt or to leave this one to them to sort through. A quick glance at the shoe mat beside the doors showed Charlie was not present, making Molly feel slightly relieved that he wasn't there to witness another argument.

“I thought you were going to talk to him about this!” Laura yelled. The sound of her hand smacking on the countertop echoed into the front hall. “Damn it Scott, I knew letting him spend more time with you would come back to bite me. Did you know an older boy punched him in the face at school today? Charlie came home with a bloody nose after getting in a fight with a kid over whether Santa is real.”

“Did he at least hit the kid back?”

Molly winced. Poor timing on that one, Scott. Really poor timing.

Laura let out a frustrated noise and started pacing the kitchen. “It's just like you to treat this like a joke. Your son is getting himself into trouble because he believes you are Santa Claus and that he went to the North Pole. And you're encouraging him!”

“You asked me to talk to him, and I did,” Scott retorted, his voice starting to rise. “I can't control what Charlie does or says when I am not around!”

Laura began to shout back, and Molly took that as her cue to leave them be. There was nothing she could say to mediate in this – they would need to sort it out on their own. She slipped off her shoes and hung up her coat as quietly as possible, then snuck downstairs, closing the door softly. Although she could no longer hear what they were saying, their voices were loud enough that she could still hear the fight between them. A knot formed in her stomach. Molly hated conflict, hated arguments, and not being able to help only sparked her anxiety further.

Between walking into this and everything that had just happened with Bernard, she found herself wishing if just for a moment, that she could go back home.

“I didn't mean that,” she immediately said out loud, worried that some force of the universe, whatever had brought her there, might be listening and whisk her back to her world. When nothing happened after a few moments, she let the tension in her shoulders drop, then sat down on her bed, staring at her hands in her lap.

As she attempted to ignore the shouts from above, she replayed the conversation with Bernard over and over in her head, the tightness in her gut growing with each revisit of it. What had suddenly spooked him so much. She closed her eyes, remembering the shock of heat and trembling excitement she had felt at his touch when he had brushed the hair out of her face. The moment seemed to have lasted forever, and a part of her had started wishing he would kiss her. She replayed the conversation again, pausing at the hair incident. She revisited the expression on his face, trying to remember and assess what the emotions playing across it had been. Surprise, confusion… longing? Was that right?

Was it imagination, her own longing influencing her memory, or had Bernard's eyes drifted to her mouth for a moment before his strange behaviour began? With a frustrated groan, she stood and walked over to the cd player sitting atop the white shelf she had been using as a dresser (once plain and boring, but now covered in random band stickers, and decorations) and flipped through the cds she had collected since arriving. One thing Molly had been grateful for was that the bands seemed to replicate those in her own world. She paused as she lifted Green Day’s Dookie off the pile, then eyed Weezer’s Blue Album sitting atop the remaining stack of cases. Green Day was more fitting for her frustrations – and was one of the albums she had worn out at home – but she sat the album down, then inserted the Weezer disc into the player. Skipping to track five, she stuck it on repeat, before slumping over to the bed, turning around, and flopping backwards, so that she stretched across it, arms splayed out like a starfish, and stared at the ceiling.

The familiar notes to the start of the Sweater Song began to drift through the room, acting as a slight buffer to the shouts from above. As she sang along softly, picturing as she always did, the lead singer walking through the party with an unending string of yarn following behind him as his sweater disintegrated into nothing, her thoughts began to shift into a panic spiral about how her next meeting with Bernard would go.

If, her anxiety tore through her, he ever even wants to see me again.

***

Scott watched as Laura turned from him with one final protest in frustration and stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind her. He winced as the house shook, then dropped his head into his hands, shaking it in disbelief.

This shouldn’t be so hard. All he had to do was tell Charlie the truth. His son would still love him even if he shattered his dreams, wouldn’t he? The answer to that, he knew, was that he wasn’t sure at all. Of course, he had grown closer with his son over the past year, but was it all superficial, built on this fantasy of Charlie’s that he was somehow Santa Clause?

The house was quiet, but he knew Molly was home, had seen her sneak past quietly while he and Laura fought. He couldn’t blame her for not interrupting; had he been an innocent bystander to an argument like theirs, he would have hidden too. But even knowing she was downstairs, the quiet felt deafening and hollow all at the same time.

He had to tell Charlie the truth, had to end this before Laura carried through on her threat to cut off his visitation rights. After all, what kind of father let their kid believe that egregious a lie about themselves?

It was a lie, wasn’t it? Scott paused, something tingling at the back of his spine. He was so sure it was a lie, and yet every time he tried to deny it he felt this pull, this sensation that made him question it. Santa Claus wasn’t real, was he?

“I must be losing my mind,” he muttered, surprised he even had to ask himself that. Of course Santa wasn’t real. As he thought that, a voice echoed in his mind, familiar but strange. And somewhat annoying.

You wouldn’t want to be responsible for ruining Christmas, would you Santa?

Scott froze at the statement, realizing he was no longer sure about anything.

***

The snow fell softly in Elfsburg, big, large flakes landing on piled that slowly climbed higher, glittering in the moonlight. Bernard stood on the small balcony that led out from his bedroom, looking over the picturesque little town. Soft Christmas lights sparkled, sending blue, green, red, and yellow hues dancing over the freshly fallen snow. It was like staring at a Christmas card, the scene so picturesque it couldn’t be real.

Bernard had a conflicting relationship with the snow and his town on nights like this. When things were going well around him, it brought him joy – he could almost feel the magic of Christmas in the air, feel that wonder and beauty that it created. On nights like this, when he found himself filled with emotions he didn’t want to deal with, the quiet and still night left him without answers or direction and felt fake and forced. A terrible, awful thought for a Christmas Elf, especially for one in his position, but there it was nonetheless. Especially in the months leading up to Christmas, when decorations were sprung and the atmosphere turned festive once again, Elfsburg could often feel out of touch with reality.

The twinkling lights, bright and cheerful decorations, polar bears directing tra— Okay, he thought, I suppose the polar bears technically are a bit out of reality for most people. But the overall feeling it was… as if the harshness and complications of real life didn’t exist.

He knew of course, that wasn’t representative of the elves or the inhabitants of the town. There were still complexities and troubles, but it was the appearance of Elfsburg itself that felt deceiving in these moments of heaviness.

Bernard sighed, trying to sort through what had happened earlier, where his head was at, what he was going to do about it. He couldn’t very well abandon Molly, leave her in solitude to face the rest of this. But he didn’t feel he could trust himself around her either, not if that evening had been any kind of indication.

He lifted the mug he held in his hands, steaming and filled with a rich, creamy brown liquid, and took a sip, the hot coffee momentarily giving him a reprieve from the chaos in his mind. A hint of hazelnut, and a deep, full flavour. Coffee – something he had never drank until Molly. Just one more thing Molly had changed about him without actually doing anything. It had just sort of happened, Bernard’s own curiosity finally getting the better of him one day. He had asked her to pick something for him to try and much to his surprise, he had liked it quite a bit. Now, a coffeemaker stood in his kitchen where the hot chocolate dispenser once happened, a carton of milk replaced with a carton of cream.

“Ugh, why does everything lead back to thoughts of her?” he grunted, frustrated that his mind wouldn’t even allow a beverage to give him a break.

The muffled thud of footsteps on the snow made their way to him and Bernard glanced down to see Judy making her way down the street to his house. She grinned as she caught his eye and waved.

“I thought you could use some dinner,” she called up to him.

He stared at her, giving a semi-dopey wave back as he tried to decide whether company was even welcome. Judy paused below his house, one hand on her hip, the glitter she always wore almost giving a radiating glow from the light.

“Well, are you going to come downstairs and let me in, or am I breaking down your door?”

Bernard sighed, then went inside, making his way to the ground floor, then opened the front door and stared his friend down. “Why are you here?”

Judy pushed past him, snowflakes that had gathered on her forest green cloak fluttering behind her before falling to the ground. She didn’t answer him as she sat down a red bag, trimmed with gold edges, then hung her cloak and removed her boots and other outdoor clothing. Now after hours, her usual festive outfit was replaced with a pair of jeans and a casual Christmas sweater. Bernard swore the woman didn’t know how to dress without some kind of holiday cheer. As he closed the door and followed her into the house, he watched wordlessly as she unpacked a hot roast beef dinner, retrieved two plates and utensils from his kitchen, then set two places on his dining room table.

She turned to him and pointed at the chair. “Sit. Eat.”

Bernard just nodded and joined her at the table.

“I’m here because I saw you return to your office then sneak out of the workshop with the most sullen expression I have witnessed on you in years,” she said quietly as she cut through the food on her plate. She paused to take a bite, chewing with a thoughtful expression on her face.

Bernard said nothing, picking up the fork and poking at some of the vegetables on the plate. Eventually, he jabbed a carrot and some peas, and put them in his mouth.

“Bernard, we have been friends for hundreds of years. I know your tells. I can read your face, and most of the time, I know what you’re thinking when you are looking at someone,” Judy went on.

“Oh yeah? What am I thinking right now then?” he challenged, though he knew it would be fruitless.

“You’re thinking “where is Judy going with this? Why does she refuse to let me mope alone?””

That was close enough. Bernard grunted in response.

“The way you watch Molly, the way your face lights up when you see her…you didn’t even look at Arella that way.”

He flinched at the mention of his ex, fork hovering above his plate. “That’s because Arella was a manipulative—”

Judy cut him off. “That’s not the point Bernard. You still had feelings for her. Clearly, they don’t compare to what you’re feeling now.”

Bernard continued chewing his food, slowly, too frustrated to enjoy the flavour of it all, refusing to look at Judy. Arella had nearly destroyed him, and Judy had been left to help him pick up the pieces, to rebuild after it all. Judy was the one who knew he had sworn off getting involved with anyone again, and when he said it, she had supported him.

“Why are you here?” He repeated his question from earlier, knowing his tone was harsher than he had intended. This wasn’t a conversation he wanted to be having. He didn’t want to be having any conversations at that moment.

Judy didn’t flinch at the way he spoke to her, turning back to her food and cutting the roast beef on her plate slowly. “To tell you to get your head out of your ass, Bernard, before you screw up the best thing to walk into your life.”

Chapter Text

The crisp cold of October was in the air, lending itself to the vibrant coloured leaves now flourishing throughout the neighbourhood. Molly laughed, a deep, genuine laugh as Charlie threw himself from the ledge of his playset into a freshly raked pile of leaves, shouting with joy as he sunk through the red, gold, and brown foliage. It reminded Molly of home, of her childhood, and while they were most definitely not in Canada, she could feel herself coming to life with the hues of her favourite season.

Fall was the time of year for tall boots, leggings and sweaters. It was a time of renewal—almost an oxymoron to the slow decay of the world around them, but the fall back home always brought with it fresh starts. A new school year, new classes and teachers, new extracurriculars. It was the best time for working towards reinvention. And, it wasn't too hot or too cold.

Charlie climbed out from the leaves and waved for her to join him, and Molly obliged, realizing it had been a long time since she had just leapt into a pile of leaves. Her anxiety-filled brain had caused her to hold back, fearful of dropping too hard and injuring herself, of hitting something gross or harmful. But maybe it was time to start letting herself take more risks, even simpler ones.

A different sort of new start, she supposed. And really, she knew that she needed one. It had been a week since she and Bernard had last spoken, and after spending that whole time moping and letting the darkness win, she realized that wasn't where she wanted to be. She had vowed after her last heartbreak to not let any romantic interest have such power over her. Even if there wasn't anything definitive between them, the ache of the potential loss of friendship was there too. But she was tired of letting that darkness and self-doubt win.

Judy had visited her a few days later, and had told her over their cups of hot drinks, “this isn't a you issue, Molly, this is a him issue. You don't deserve to have his problems control your feelings.”

Molly hadn't thought of it that way before. After all, the impact of his issues was hurting her. But the elf wasn't entirely wrong. If Bernard was willing to walk away from their friendship because of something he was struggling with, that was his loss, not hers.

She landed in the large pile of leaves with a soft thud, travelling only partway to the bottom, and delighted that it didn't hurt as she had anticipated. Charlie shrieked with laughter and seconds later hit the pile beside her, leaves flying everywhere. Giggling, he began to throw the leaves all over her, and Molly couldn't help but laugh, pretending to hate it as she tried to duck her head.

The leaves and laughter stopped, and Molly looked up to see Charlie staring at something behind her, a curious look on his face.

“I think it's time for me to do some homework,” he declared, climbing out of the pile.

Molly snorted. “You don't have homework, kid.” She turned her head to see what he was staring at and froze. Bernard stood at the back of the house, leaning casually against the brick wall with his arms crossed, his expression unreadable. His beret had been replaced by a dark green beanie and he wore jeans and a black denim coat. Molly felt her heartbeat quicken as she blushed.

“No, but Neal told me I shouldn't be around for adult arguments.”

“You are way too perceptive for your age,” Molly groaned, pushing to her feet.

“Blame Neal!” Charlie shouted over his shoulder as he ran towards the backdoor, quickly vanishing inside.

Brushing the dirt and spare leaves off her legs and coat, Molly began to walk across the yard to where Bernard stood, watching her approach. He didn't move to meet her, didn't even wave or smile. Just watched. Molly clenched her fists, feeling a wave of anger along with a sinking feeling in her chest.

As she drew near, his eyes shifted to her hair a moment, and she instinctively reached up her hand, feeling a leaf sticking out. She quickly removed it, then shoved her hands in her pocket and leaned against the wall beside him, keeping as a big space between them as she could without making it too obvious. She noted, with a sharp pain through her gut, that he didn't make to move any closer. He didn't greet her either.

Molly sighed. “Hey.” Her nerves began to light on fire, heart thundering so loud she was sure he could hear it. It felt hard to breathe. But she wouldn't let him see the pain or the doubt, the way she was hurting. She forced her face into a neutral expression and hoped her tone had been lacking the intense emotions roaring through her.

From the corner of her eye, she could see that Bernard was not looking at her, as he gazed off into the distance. He still didn't return her greeting. Molly's head was hurting from her internal thoughts screaming. She was hyper aware of every way he was—and wasn't—interacting with her.

Finally, the elf spoke, his voice colder than Molly had anticipated. “We need to talk.”

Molly clenched her fists in her pocket again, then turned slowly to look at him, silently daring him to look her in the eyes. “No shit.”

That did it. Bernard looked at her with a startled expression, as though he couldn't fathom the sharp tone Molly had responded to his own coldness with. He cleared his throat, gaze shifting away from her again.

“What happened… at the coffee shop was inappropriate and should never have happened.” His voice wavered, as if there was a battle of emotions going on inside him.

Molly pulled her hands out of her pockets and crossed her arms in front of her chest, shifting her weight to her left foot, the anger finally bursting outward. “What exactly was so inappropriate Bernard? What the hell happened? Because one minute we were fine, the next, you suddenly wanted nothing to do with me! So what the hell?”

Trying to play it cool, be damned, Molly told herself. If he wanted to talk, then they were going to have it out here, right now.

Bernard shifted his own weight and brought up his right hand to his forehead, rubbing his temple in what appeared to be frustration. When he spoke, his voice had lost its sharpness.

“This is why the SOS exists. I never should have pushed the boundaries, should have stayed away from the human world. There's too much at stake.”

Molly stared at him angrily with an assessing gaze. The shift in his tone, in his posture, it sounded more like the elf was trying to convince himself than it was her. “Being cryptic never helped anyone,” she snapped.

Bernard winced. “I… I've put everything at risk. This is my fault, I've led you on and Christmas could be at stake.”

I've led you on.

The words took the air out of her lungs as though something had just hit her so hard she couldn't breathe. Pure rage began to replace the anger. Led her on? She might be naïve to most things, awkward about flirting and picking up on flirting, but she wasn't that daft. It had been there—those feelings that she felt. For that brief moment she had seen it in his eyes too, and for whatever reason, it had terrified Bernard. And she would damn well not be okay with his excuses.

“You're a coward,” she spat out, taking a step back from him. “I've thought you were many things, Bernard. Many wonderful things, but a coward? This is a first.”

****

Bernard felt his own anger return at those words, feeling as though he had been served his own punch in the gut.

You're a coward. How did she figure? She was just a girl. A young, naïve girl who knew nothing about the kind of responsibility he carried.

“You don't know what you're talking about,” he growled back, taking a step closer to her. “You have no idea the kind of pressure I'm under. I am not a coward.”

A shiver ran down his spine as Molly took a step towards him, reversing her own retreat and bringing her immediately in front of him. He stood nearly a head taller than her, glaring into Molly's angry eyes, his heartrate quickening at the closeness. So close. Close enough he could—no. He silenced the thought as Molly replied with a cool, calmness to her voice. So calm, that for a moment, he wondered if he should be terrified about what wrath was about to come his way.

“You. Are. A. Coward,” she repeated slowly. “Blaming whatever you feel for me on ruining Christmas. Look around, Bernard. Nothing has been affected at this point. Scott is starting to wonder if maybe it's all real. This has nothing to do with the safety of Christmas.”

Something was building deep inside Bernard's gut, a force that he couldn't put words to. He refused to admit what it was, refused to acknowledge the depth of a desire he had never experienced as he stared down at the feisty woman he had spent all this time trying to forget. The woman he was supposed to be removing from his life.

“This has everything to do with Christmas.” The words came out gruffly, his voice dropping low to avoid risking any indication of what he was feeling from escaping.

“You'd rather never see me again than admit what you feel.” Molly sounded…defeated. Despite the break to her voice, her body remained rigid with anger, Bernard wondering if that last fleeting bit of pride was all that was holding her together. Wondering why he was doing this to her, feeling his heart begin to shatter as she tried to hide that hurt in her eyes. “You're a coward,” she whispered venomously, before turning to step away.

Bernard reached out and grabbed her by the arm, instinctively, his mind no longer able to stop him from acting. He pulled her towards him, Molly turning her head upwards to look at him, face unreadable. He paused, hesitating a moment, waiting for any sign that what he wanted to do was what Molly wanted too. Molly nodded slightly, and Bernard's lips found hers, crushing into her mouth with a deep kiss. Molly whimpered beneath him, her arms snaking around his neck, fingers finding her way into his curls as his tongue slowly teased at her mouth, Molly opening it in response.

Everything inside him felt as though it was going to burst, like an electric storm was building as he found himself unable to pull back from her, her kisses intoxicating. Months of buried longing crashed to the surface, Bernard craving the feeling of her against him. His hands slid down her sides towards his hips, instinctually moving to lift her upwards, the brick wall beckoning as a solid surface.

Never again.

The words reverberated through him, the reminder of his promise shattering the moment and he froze, dropping his hands to his side. He stepped back, ignoring the protest of everything he was as his lips moved from hers and he looked down at Molly, confusion spreading slowly across her flushed face.

“I'm sorry,” he whispered, the snow and glitter beginning to swirl around him. The last thing he saw, burned into his mind, as the Calvin's backyard faded into momentary darkness was the shattered look in Molly's eyes.

Chapter Text

Molly stared blankly as the last of the magic swirling about faded from the material plane, leaving nothing where Bernard had stood moments earlier. Her eyes welled with tears that she fought back, fists balled so tightly she could feel her fingernails digging into her skin. Her emotions were an even greater mess than she was, rage and heartbreak fighting for control amidst what felt like her soul shattering. For the briefest of moments, everything had been all right, and then Bernard had withdrawn and left her like the fool she convinced herself she was.

The sound of a car pulling into the driveway, rolling over crisp leaves, jolted her from the crushing anxiety swirling around her. She could break later. For now, she needed Charlie to believe everything was okay, and for Mrs. Miller to not pick up on the range of emotions threatening to burst out of her. She wiped away the tears with the back of her hand, took a deep breath to steady herself, then ran in through the back door and flashed what she hoped was a convincing grin at Charlie.

“Your mom's here.”

Charlie grinned right back, sending a flood of relief through Molly. “Remember, I won't be here after school this week—soccer is starting!” He began shoving his homework into his backpack before leaping up and grabbing his shoes and coat from the mat beside the glass sliding doors. Mrs. Miller entered through the front door and waved hello. “Do you think you can come to my first game?”

His wide eyes stared up at her filled with hope and expectation. She desperately didn't want to disappoint him, but knew what happened with Scott at that game would be crucial to his acceptance of being Santa. And if she attended? She was worried she wouldn’t be able to prevent herself from trying to get involved, trying to save him from what that moment would trigger for him and Charlie. She had to stay away.

So she smiled at him sadly and shook her head. “I have to help Judy with something kiddo, I'm sorry.” She felt a pang of guilt at the blatant lie, and frustration towards herself that lying was becoming such a regular part of her life. Two months, she reminded herself. She just had to hold out for two more months. And maybe by then, Father Time would have figured out a way to get her home and she could forget all about Bernard.

Charlie looked sad, but nodded. “Christmas comes first,” he whispered before turning and running to hug his mom.

They bid their farewells and left, the house quiet and feeling more empty than usual, a hollow kind of absence that echoed the growing feeling in the pit of her stomach. She scrawled a note to Scott, apologizing that she was feeling unwell and was heading to bed early, then made her way downstairs and collapsed face-first into her bed, sobbing until she fell asleep.

***

Bernard's office materialized in front of him and he flopped into his chair, then propped his elbows up on his knees as he dropped his head into his hands. Everything inside of him felt muddled and confused, his head foggy and heavy. He had made a mess of everything. Molly's shattered gaze haunted him as his shoulders heaved with the attempt to fight off a sob.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this—he was supposed to know better, to keep things simple, to keep emotions and love out of everything he did. He had failed, and now there was a broken girl because of it. One as broken—if not more-so—than he had been after having his own heart shattered. He had done to Molly what Arella had done to him.

He could still feel the moment Arella had ended their relationship, that pain that twisted his insides. Still see her face as she looked at him coldly. You were never the one, Bernard. You never could have been. You were a way to pass the time until I figured out how to get the fuck out of here. Her deep blue eyes flashing with contempt at him, long blonde hair blowing slightly in the breeze, a swirling portal behind her as she planned to step through. The ring he had proposed to her with still on her finger as she held her hand out in front of her face admiring it. You have good taste, at least, Arella sneered. But terrible judgement. Then, she had vanished.

She had used him, in more ways than one. Not just to pass the time, but to get access to the very magic of Christmas, to use it to transcend worlds and time, to find wherever it was she felt she wanted to be besides Elfsburg. Like him, she had been only half-Christmas elf. Unlike him, she had hated all of it. He had been drawn to how different she was, overlooked her bitterness and wry humour as the quirks of someone who just felt they didn't fit in as well as they might want. If he hadn't been so blind with his infatuation, maybe he would have figured it out sooner.

He had refused to let himself ever make that mistake again. Then Molly had wandered into his life, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed wonder just like Arella. A similar darkness. But the way she stood against it, the way she let it be a part of her without drowning her, had drawn him in. In some ways, she was what Arella could have been if the woman had left the rage and hatred behind. Unlike Arella, Molly hadn't been an infatuation. The feelings grew slowly, before he fully understood they were there. And because he had failed to notice them, he had been unable to stop things from going too far—even before his feelings took over and he kissed her.

The door to his office slammed open and Judy stormed into the room, her usual chipper face livid with fury and rage, her small hand clutching something tightly. Bernard drew back in surprise; he had never seen his friend like this.

“What the hell did you do Bernard?”

The snarly edge to her voice set off his anxiety, and he could feel his very core starting to shake in response. She held out her palm, revealing a small crystal orb, similar in size to the globes of each Santa, kept hidden away in the hall of snowglobes.

“Father Time gave this to me to guard for him… he said as long as the magic inside stayed light, there was a chance to get Molly home.”

Judy tossed the globe at him and Bernard stuck out his hand to catch it, letting out a small gasp as he watched the swirling colour inside. The orb’s essence had gone completely black.

“So I'll ask you again,” she growled, emphasizing each word. “What the hell did you do?”