Kidnapping?!

Kidnapping?!

(Chapter 11 of two souls entwined in the North Pole)

"Hello santa!" The elf, I assume is Quentin, greets us.

"Hello Quintin, it's nice to meet ya!" Dad sticks his hand out and Quentin shakes it enthusiastically.

"Santa, this is Quintin, head of research and development." Bernard steps forward.

"Charlie and I have put our heads together, and I think we've got a few surprises for you." Quentin pulls out a clipboard.

I can't help but scratch my ears. The tips of my ears have been so itchy the last few weeks. I was going to ask Bernard about it but I didn't want to worry him. My skin has been steadily getting rosier until I looked like I had blush on all the time. I'll ask him about it when I can.

"Fireplaces will no longer be a problem." Quentin pulls out two new jumpsuits.

"It's a new fabric. Completely flame retardant." He smiles.

I look to dad and he looks worried.

"But what if I fall off a roof?" Dad asks.

"It's light, yet durable!" He glosses over dads question.

"So what do we do if we fall off the roof?" I but in.

"You won't." Quentin assured us.

"But the last guy did." Dad insists.

"Comet has a solution." Quintin says vaguely.

"Maybe we should check that out then." I nudge Bernard.

"Yeah, maybe we should." He nods as we slip out the doors.

He grabs hold of my hand and leads me to the stables. I walk to comets stall.

"Hey baby boy, I heard you got something for me?" I scratch his head.

"Yeah I do!" He nudges a rope and a card near me.

"Aren't you sweet worrying about me." I pick up the rope and card.

Opening it it reads from comet to Christmas spirit. A hoof print is inked onto the front. I slip both items into my bag. Hugging his neck, I give him a kiss on the muzzle.

Suddenly my ears hurt so bad. "Ah fuck!" I hold my ears.

"What's wrong?!" Bernard rushes to me.

"I don't know! My ears feel like they're being torn off!" I say as the feeling slows subsides.

I remove my hands and Bernard gasps.

"What?" I ask, worried.

"I forgot to tell you one small detail of being Christmas spirit." He grimaces.

"Your ears!" Comet exclaims.

"What's wrong with my ears?" I ask teaching into my bag and pulling out a mirror.

"Not wrong..." Bernard starts as I gasp.

"Bernard, why the fuck are my ears pointed now?!" I shake him.

"About that... becoming Christmas spirit essentially gives you elf immortality. But with immortality comes the appearance. And the ears are a main part of the appearance." Bernard falters.

"That would have been good to know." I deadpan.

"Hey, that was curtis's job. He's the keeper of the handbook, not me." He defends.

A beeping rings out and signals us it's time to go.

"Well we better get to the sleigh. Charlie's got something to show us in the sleigh." I pull him to the sleigh. Waiting there is dad and Charlie.

"Well, I guess this is where we part for now. Stay safe snowbird." Bernard stares into my eyes.

I grab his sweater and pull him into a kiss. It's short and sweet, but leaves me wanting more. Pulling away, he has a lovesick look on his face. Dad coughs to get my attention.

"I have to go now. I'll see you later tonight." I jog over to the sleigh, Charlie sticking his tongue out in mock disgust.

Clambering into the sleigh, I scoot beside dad. The reindeer are harnessed and dad handed the reins.

"You guys ready?!" Comet asks.

"Ready comet!" I call to him.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to the animal thing," I hear dad say.

"You thought you wouldn't get used to being Santa. I think you'll be okay." I smirk.

The platform rises out onto the snowy tundra. Cracking the reins, we fly into the air. A hole opens up out of the sky and the reindeer fly us into it. Once on the other side I recognize it as Chicago.

Charlie starts to stand up and I push him back down.

"Charlie, stay in your seat sport." I say.

"I gotta show you this." He scoots forward in his seat just enough to reach the control panel of the sleigh.

"Radar-jamming jingle bells, snow screen, DC alert, and air freshener." He points.

"Wow" dad says.

"And most important of all, your hats." He hands us them.

"My hat?" Dad says confused.

"It's lined with a two-way radio. Microphone's in here. It connects you directly to Judy." Charlie points.

"What's this, sport?"I ask pointing to a box on the dash.

"C.D." He says plainly.

"Oh compact disk!" Dad says.

"No. Cookie/cocoa dispenser. The cocoa comes out nice and hot." He pushes a button and three cups of cocoa appears alongside a cookie for each.

"How could we have done this without you, Charlie?" I ask him.

"You couldn't." He smiles.

We land on a rooftop I remember. Sarah lives here, the little girl with the raggedy Ann doll last year! Dad grabs the sack and starts floating up, me floating behind him. We are sucked down the smoke stack and are met with Sarah sleeping on the couch. We start to put her presents under the tree when she stirs.

"You're fatter this year. And you've got sparkly cheeks." She points to us.

"Thank you very much. You've grown too. And you were a very good girl this year, but I want you to go back to sleep, okay?" I hush her.

"I think the milk's a little sour." Dad says with a grossed out face.

"It's soy milk." The girl stares.

"Huh?" Dad quirks.

"You said you were lactose intolerant." She explains.

"I did say that, didn't l? Thanks for remembering." Dad smiles, setting the cup back down.

"Merry Christmas Sarah." I wave.

"Merry Christmas Mx spirit!" She waves back as we are sucked back up.

As we fly the sleigh Charlie points and asks if we can go by his moms house.

"Sure we can, sport." I assure him as we begin our decent.

"I made them something in the workshop." He shuffles.

Slurping down into the living room we begin to place presents under the tree.

Suddenly I'm blinded by a flashlight . Police surround us and dad calls out to them.

"You officers really gave me a start. Merry Christmas, guys." He smiles.

"Not for you fat boy!" They say inching closer.

"Fat boy?" Was the last thing he could make out before he was detained.

"Mx. you need to come with us too. You're an accomplice to kidnapping." They say handcuffing me.

"Kidnapping?! I've got toys to deliver man!" I say while being forced into the squad car.

This is the worst Christmas ever.

Rescue mission

(Chapter 12 of two souls entwined in the North Pole)

Bernard had finally gotten some time to himself. Pouring himself a cup of bubbling green liquid, he sits at the workshops chemist room. Suddenly, curtis rushes in.

"We've got a problem. Santa was at the Miller's, but he's not responding!" Curtis cries.

"What?!" Bernard jumps out of his seat, nearly shattering his mug in the process.

His soulmate was in danger! He could sense it. What it was, he did not know, but he knew it was bad. Laura had to have something to do with this!

"Do you want us to deploy the e.l.f.s., sir?" Curtis asks, bouncing on his heels.

"Absolutely! I'm coming with them!" Bernard quickly threw on his long coat.

"But sir, you're needed here!" Curtis protests.

"My soulmate is out there! In trouble! As their mate I am required to risk anything and everything to keep them safe! Need I remind you, keeper of the handbook?!" Bernard fights back and Curtis throws his hands up in defense.

"I guess I could take over for you, while you're gone." Curtis suggests.

"As much as I don't want to do that, you'll have to." Bernard rushes off, leaving a concerned Curtis behind.

Rushing to the E.L.F.S department, Bernard curses himself. If only he had gone with,none of this would have happened. If only he didn't agreed to Charlie tagging along, even if he had some good ideas. It was way too risky for him to do. But he couldn't just say no to his soulmates brother.

Making his way to the department, he slams open the door. Several elves jump and one falls out of their seat.

"Santa and the spirit of Christmas are in danger!" Bernard tells them.

"On our way sir!" The head of the department, an elf named Kenny, declares as all of them put on their jet packs.

"I'm coming with you guys." Bernard states, stepping forward slightly.

"If you say so, sir!" Kenny agrees.

Joining hands, they all disappear into a cloud of glitter. They appear on top of Charlie's roof.

As this is happening, a rather different performance is being drawn out in the holding cell with you and Scott.

"Look, I know you're Scott Calvin. You know you're Scott Calvin and (y/n) Calvin. So let's make this simple.  I say, names. You say, Scott Calvin and (y/n) Calvin. " The police officer pressures.

"Name?" He asks Scott.

"Kriss Kringle." Scott says smugly.

"Name?" He turns to you. 

"Christmas cheer." You protest.

"Name." He forces.

"Spirit of Christmas past, present, and future." You push.

"Name?" He asks for a third time, getting frustrated.

"Holiday joy. Festive cheer. Holiday blessings. Yuletide spirit. Festive joy. Joyous Noel.  Christmas spirit." You rattle off, laughing.

"Okay, Calvins. Maybe a couple of hours in the tank will change your mind." The officer growls and stomps out of the room.

Scott turns to you.

"It'll be ok honey," He smiles sadly.

You nod and blink away stray tears.

Meanwhile Bernard and the E.L.F.S. are preparing to rescue Charlie. They land on Charlie's roof where he is sitting.

"Charlie!" Bernard says to catch his attention.

Charlie turns his head and his eyes light up. Rushing over to Bernard he hugs his leg.

"Oh Bernard! They detained (y/n) and dad! They don't believe he's Santa! They think he kidnapped me!" Charlie sobs.

"Don't worry sport. We're here to rescue them." Bernard pats Charlie's head.

"We can't. The police are watching this place." Charlie looks at him.

"Yeah, they probably are. But you see, we weren't figuring on walking out the front door. We find that we can get around a lot faster if we fly. Now... grab hold of my hand. And hold on tight." Bernard presents his hand and Charlie grabs it.

"And Charlie," Bernard starts.

"Yeah?" Charlie inquires.

"Don't ever try this without elf supervision." He finishes.

I'm a split second they are flying through the air. It takes little time to end up at the police station. Landing, they walk into the station.

"We're looking for Santa Claus." Bernard steps forward.

"Go home, kids. Visiting hours are over." The security guard scoffs.

"We're not kids, and we're not visiting." Bernard presses.

"We're here to bust out my dad." Charlie chimes in.

"You're the Calvin boy. Who-- Who are these other kids?" The security guard stutters.

"We're your worst nightmare. Elves with attitude." Kenny glares.

In a split second the guard is tied to his chair with tinsel, unable to move.

"Shouldn't have had that doughnut. Oh! Untie me! I mean it! Untie—" The guard starts but they walk away.

Finding the holding cell was easy, getting them out might be a bit of a challenge though. Fiddling in his bag, Bernard pulls out an exact copy of the room key.

"Charlie!" "Bernard!" Both you and your dad cry out.

Bernard rushes over to where you are handcuffed to the table and with one touch, the handcuffs break off of you both. Throwing yourself into his arms you sniffle.

"You're really here!" You cry.

"You think I'd let you stay here snowbird?" He caresses your face.

"Never!" You pull him into a quick kiss.

"How'd you distract the guard?" Scott asks.

"Tinsel. Not just for decoration." Kenny places his hands on his hips.

"We gotta get you back sport." You tell Charlie.

He pouts, but eventually nods his head. They all clasp hands and teleport out of the holding cell. Landing at Charlie's house, Charlie opens the door. The ELFS dissipate back to the North Pole leaving Charlie, Scott, and you standing there. You look around for Bernard, but he's nowhere to be found. Sighing you stints the house after Charlie and your dad.

"Mom! Neil! I'm home!" He calls out.

Laura runs in from around the corner and Neil is close behind her. She scoops Charlie into a tight hug.

"Oh! My boy, you're home!" She cries.

"I'm fine, Mom." He says.

"Oh, Charlie. I missed you, honey." She hugs him tighter.

"Mom, I'm fine. It's okay." He reassure her.

"We were so worried about you. Look at you." She gives him a look over.

"Mom, put me down. Stop kissing me!" He pouts.

"We don't have a lot of time Charlie." You say, tapping your imaginary watch.

"Did you leave the gifts I made under the tree?" Charlie asks you.

"You bet we did sport!" You ruffle his hair.

"We better go!" Charlie gets loose from Laura.

"No, Charlie. No, no, no." Your dad stops him.

"No! No, wait, Charlie." Laura calls after him.

"It's ok Laura," You say.

"Actually I- I think its a much better idea" Your dad starts.

"That you stay here with your mom and Neil." You finish.

"But dad, (y/n)!" Charlie pouts.

"No buts, Charlie" dad shushes him.

"We can't be selfish. We can't be with you all the time." You start.

"We're a family. You, me , your mom, your sibling, and Neil." Your dad says.

"And they need to be with you too." You kneel down to him.

"I'll miss you too much." He mopes.

"Come on, listen. There's-- There's a lot of kids out there. Okay? Millions of kids. And they're-- They all-- They all believe in us. They're countin' on us, Charlie. And I-I'm not gonna let them down. We got a lot of work to do." Your dad explains.

"So I can't be selfish either." Charlie says through tears.

"You gave us a wonderful gift, Charlie. Listen, a wonderful gift. You believed in us when nobody else did. You helped make us what we are. Selfish! You're the least selfish person I know." You say, smooshing Charlie into a hug from you and your dad.

"I love you Santa Claus and Christmas spirit!" Charlie sobs out.

"I love you son." Your dad validate his emotions.

"I love you Charlie!" You confirm.

Charlie sobs and your dad gently shushes him. You turn to Laura.

"Yea what do you think? Christmas Eve you spend with Charlie?" You suggest.

"Oh my god!" She says in a hushed whisper, covering her mouth with her hands.

"It's you! It really is you!you really are... Santa Claus and the spirit of Christmas!" She smiles.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Your dad asks rhetorically.

"Oh, my God." Neil sighs.

"And you though I'd never amount to anything." You joke.

Standing up, you both ready yourselves for delivering gifts.

"Wait, don't go yet. I have something for you." Laura says, quickly running out of the room

"Scott." Neil says plainly.

"Neil." He nods back.

Neil steps forward and his eye widen.

"Santa?" He asks, childlike wonder dripping off of his voice.

"It’s ok Neil." Your dad reassures.

Neil steps away, turning around and placing his hands on his head in disbelief. Laura comes walking in with a folder in her hand.

"Here. It's... well it's... it's my Christmas present for you. It's the custody papers." She says setting the folder in the roaring fireplace.

"And I want you two to see Charlie as often as you can." She says softly while picking up Charlie.

"You can count on it," You smile.

"Thanks Laura." Your dad beams.

"Merry Christmas." You grin.

Caught and Laura is a bitch

(Chapter 9 of two souls entwined in the North Pole)

"What the hell is this?!"

I wake up with a start, nearly falling off the bed. An arm pulls me back before I can fall. I open my eyes as Bernard pulls me back up. I recognize that voice as my fathers. Uh oh.

"Why is there a person in your bed with you? And with Charlie here nonetheless! I though you were more responsible than this." Dad degrades me.

"Ugh. Can you turn it down a few notches first." I groan. "Secondly it's just my boyfriend!"

The light flicks on and I shield my eyes. "I'm sorry that my dad is insane Bernard." I apologize.

"Bernard! How the hell did you even get here?" Dad asks.

"Magic." Bernard deadpans, running his eyes from the light.

"Well, I apologize (y/n). But you should have told me." Dad shuffles into the room.

I rub my forehead as Bernard scoots closer to me.

"Told you what? My soulmate from the North Pole is spending the night?" I ask exasperated.

"Well when you put it like that..." dad mumbles.

"What's going on in here?" A small voice rings out from the doorway.

Charlie stands there, blanket in hand and a teddy bear dressed as Santa Claus tucked under his arm.

"Nothing sport. Your dad just didn't know I was staying over tonight." Bernard explains.

"Can I sleep in here with you guys? I had a nightmare!" Charlie stumbles to the bed.

I look to Bernard and he nods.

"Come on buddy. You'll be safe in here with us." I smile, picking Charlie up from the ground.

"I'm sorry for accusing you kid. I've just been so stressed going through these changes." Dad starts.

"I have too! My ears have grown points and I can now talk to animals. I'm still developing powers and Bernard has been helping me." I explain.

"So... how long has this been going on exactly?" Dad asks.

"Well... kinda since a week after the incident." I grimace.

"I mean no disrespect Santa. But they ARE my soulmate. This would have happens whether you became Santa or not." Bernard clasps his hand in mine.

"I guess we always knew you were destined for something greater than this. I just wish your mother could see you now." Dad starts tearing up.

"Oh, dad!" I get up, hugging him tight.

He realizes me from the hug and pats my shoulder.

"I think I'm going to need some sleep kiddo. Have a good night." He kisses me on the cheek, his beard tickling my cheek.

He shuts the door behind him, turning off the lights in the process.

"I'm sorry, I wouldn't have stayed or I knew you'd get in trouble." Bernard starts.

I cut him off with a quick kiss.

"Don't you even start Mr! I wanted you here as much as you wanted to stay. Now let's get some well deserved rest."

"Yes my snowbird." He beams at me.

Charlie snuggles into my side, practically straddling my leg. Bernard reaches around me and scoots as close as he can.

"Goodnight darling." I yawn.

(TIME SKIP BROUGHT TO YOU BY TEDDY BEARS)

I woke up to no Bernard. The pajamas he borrowed neatly folded and set on the bedside table. Today is the dad Laura is taking dad to court. With our luck it won't be a good outcome. And with Charlie telling everyone about dad being Santa makes it seem like he's in unfit father. I'm going to court with him to testify for him to keep custody.

Charlie is cuddled into my side lightly snoring. I look sadly down at him, knowing that today very well may be the last time I see him. I gently scoot away. Taking this time to get dressed. I put on a blazer, collared shirt, slacks and a clip on tie. I ponder how to hide my ears and settle on a thick elastic headband. I walk downstairs and start to get breakfast ready.

"So, how do I look?" Dad saunters into the kitchen.

I turn to see him barely fitting into his suit.

"Err..." I pull a face and shake my head.

"I guess I'll just go with a sweater." Dad trudges off.

"Pancakes!!!" Charlie runs into the kitchen, hopping up onto the bar stool by the kitchen island.

"Yes, pancakes with maple syrup just for you!" I set the plate in front of him.

"Thanks (y/n)! You're the best!" Charlie says before shoveling pancakes into his mouth.

"Now remember! You can't say anything about Bernard, or dad being Santa, or me being the spirit of Christmas. Can you remember that sport?" I ruffle his hair.

"I'll try!" Charlie smiles.

“Good." I smile back.

After breakfast we all head into the car. I buckle Charlie's car seat and hop into the passenger seat of the car. It takes about ten minutes to drive to the courthouse and it's silent the entire way. Everything has a nervous air about it.

We go into the building and the proceedings start. Soon I am called to the stand.

"Your honor, Scott has been nothing but a good father to Charlie and I. He raised me on his own when my mother died as a young child. He's been constantly working to provide for Charlie and I. Never a day went by that we were hungry or not wanted. I want nothing but the best for Charlie." I tell the judge and he dismisses me from the courtroom.

Sitting outside the courtroom, I can't help but feel teary eyed. Dad comes out soon.

"They're talking to Charlie one on one. They said they'll call us back when they reached a verdict." Dad says, tears blooming in the corners of his eyes.

I pay the back of dad and I hear the potter patter of little footsteps.

"It's all okay. I told the judge everything about you and the North Pole!" Charlie beams.

Uh oh.

We are called back into the room. I sit next to dad, his hand enveloping mine.

The judge bangs his gavel and begins to speak. "After reviewing all of your testimonies, I've come to a very difficult decision. I'm sorry to do this in light of the holiday season, but in the best interest of the child, I'm granting the petition of Dr and Mrs Miller. Mr Calvin, as of today, all of your visitation rights are suspended pending a hearing after the first of the year."

Tears leak from my eyes and I have to support dad from collapsing in anguish. Leaving the courtroom all I can think is 'Laura is such a mega bitch!'

The first girl santa ever

(Chapter 3 of wrapped in love)

I follow Bernard as he leads me down a long hallway that twists and turns. After a good ten minutes of walking in silence we are met with a large door. He opens the door and we enter a large room.

"You look distressed Santa." Bernard tells me.

"Distressed? I'm way past distressed. Im talking to an elf and I'm apparently the new Santa!" I shake.

"That's not surprising. Most grown-ups can't believe in magic. It just... sort of grows out of them." He shrugs.

"But how can I be Santa?! I thought only men could be Santa!" I ask.

"I'll have to request Curtis to join us to explain that." He says walking out.

He closes the door behind him and I let out a sigh. He was right about one thing, I am soaked. A towel and a set of monogrammed pajamas are laid on the bed. I take off the coat and the pants, folding them and setting them onto a nearby table. I towel dry my hair and pat dry the rest of my body. Once dry, I change into the pajamas and fold my old clothes, setting them next to the jacket. Sitting onto the bed, I run my hands through my hair. My mind is racing. The door opens and Bernard and another elf walk into the room.

"This is Curtis. He's the keeper of the Santa handbook." Bernard introduces his friend.

"And the elf that's second in command!" Curtis says, chest puffed out with pride.

"Yeah, yeah, now tell her." Bernard pushes Curtis toward me.

"According to the Santa handbook, anyone, regardless of gender, will become Santa if they put on the coat and the previous santa is no more. Furthermore, if the santee is not male, their physical change will be different. Their ears will pointen and their canine teeth will sharpen. The closest male figure in their life will become Santa's helper, their hair will whiten, they will grow a beard and they will have significant weight gain. " Curtis reads out, shutting the large book when finished.

"So, let me get this straight. My dad will look like santa, but I'll be Santa." I rub my head.

"Essentially, yes." Curtis nods.

"This is the first ever case that has been documented in elf history." Bernard chimes in.

"Oh, how amazing!" I flip my back onto the bed, hands covering my face.

"I'll be going now!" Curtis scurry's out.

"If it means anything, I'm sorry you were chosen." Bernard sits next to me.

"Chosen?" I ask.

"Every Santa ever has been chosen by the previous santa. He must have seen something in you that you can't." Bernard explains.

"Well that's bullshit!" I exclaim.

"Language! But yes, it may seem unfair." Bernard scolds me.

"I'm sorry," I say sheepishly.

"It's ok. When you wake up you will be back at home. You have eleven months to get it together." Bernard says before proofing into a cloud of glitter.

"What the fuck?" I whisper to myself.

‘This has been one long night’ I think to myself as I drift off into slumber

—————————————————

I wake up the next morning in my own bed. I stretch and groan, standing up and making my way downstairs. I reach the kitchen and pour myself a cup of iced coffee. Charlie then comes racing down the stairs with dad in tow.

"See! Bernard dropped off gifts!" Charlie exclaims.

"The waiter?" Dad asks.

"No! The elf!" Charlie says sorting through presents.

I guess I did put the presents under the tree last night.

"There's one here for you (y/n)!" Charlie calls out.

I come to see what he's talking about and see a present addressed to me from Bernard. I guess that wasn't a dream after all.

I kneel down and undo the ribbon. Opening the box I see a messenger bag. There is also a note. It reads 'this is an endless bag. Whatever you need will be in it and it has unlimited storage. Take care of it- Bernard'

"Ooh!" Charlie reads the note.

I take the note back and bring the box to my room. As I descend the stairs I hear mom talking to dad.

"(Y/n) is the new Santa, mom!" Charlie jumps.

"How can (y/n) be santa? She isn’t a boy." Mom smooths his hair.

"I don't know! Bernard says she's the first one ever!" Charlie says.

"Ok Charlie, you better get to the car. Neil's waiting for you, I'll be there in a moment." Mom ushers him out.

"So, uh, what have you been telling him?" Mom confronts dad.

" Nothing. It's just... I had this really strange dream. And l-- I must have told him all about it." Dad stammers.

I know how to prove to dad that it was real. I rush to the car to see Charlie rolling down the window. Dad follows after me.

"Where did I get the pajamas?" I ask him.

"Bernard gave them to you!" Charlie shakes his hands at me.

"Oh, wait. Wait. Bernard was the name of the waiter at the restaurant last night." Dad remembers.

"Some waiter gave our kid pajamas?" Mom questions.

"What's this all about?" Neil asks Charlie.

"Dad and (y/n) took me to the North Pole, and Larry showed me the workshop!" Charlie says excitedly.

"The North Pole." Neil says flatly.

"Yeah! (Y/n)'s the new Santa! The regular Santa fell off the roof, and they put on the suit." Charlie says exasperated.

"Charlie, we will discuss this at home." Neil says softly.

They drive away and we trudge inside.

"It's just a dream. Stuff like that doesn't happen." Dad says to me.

"Why? Because I'm not a man?" I ask him.

"What? No! Because Santa's not real!" Dad shakes his head.

"Well I guess when you gain weight and I get sharp canines then you'll see." I say climbing the stairs.

He stands baffled at the foot of the stairs. This is just great.

The list and wrapping duty

(Chapter 7 of two souls entwined in the North Pole)

It's been a week since Bernard showed up in the bakery. Dad is officially on thin ice. He showed up at Charlie's soccer game and apparently all the children lined up to sit on his lap. And he let them! I'm driving home from work and as I pull up the delivery man pulls up as well. I get out and go up to the truck.

"S.c?" The delivery man asks.

"My dad. I'll sign for it though." I say, initialing the papers.

"All right, I'll get your packages." The guy says, unloading multiple large boxes.

"Packages?" I ask, scrunching my nose slightly.

"Yes, there's many of them here." The man says.

I quickly go unlock the front door, propping it open so he can set them inside.

After over ten minutes the man finally hands the last package directly to me. I shut the door with my hip and set down the package onto the kitchen table. I get a knife and cut the package open. Inside is a list long enough to wrap around the house.

"What's this?" I mumble.

"The list." I hear a voice behind me call out.

Turning around I see Bernard standing there with several rolls of wrapping paper and a roll of ribbon. He sets them down, leaning them against the wall.

" I can see that. Why's it here?" I gesture to the multiple boxes scattered through the walkway.

"Your dad has to check them. Remember, p for present and c for coal." Bernard nods.

"What's that for?" I ask, pointing  to the wrapping paper.

"Training. Remember when I said your part is harder than your dads. Today we will be tackling wrapping." He picks up the now empty box that carried one part of 'the list'.

" Ok, I guess. But let's move to my room. I don't want my dad having a heart attack when he gets home. I don't think he'll believe you're real even if he sees you." I say taking the paper and ushering Bernard up the stairs.

I open my bedroom door and pull Bernard in, shutting and locking it behind me.

"Dad's got no sense of privacy so I'm gonna have to keep the door locked. Otherwise he'd come in and see, well, you, I guess." I explain.

"Has the santafacation process begun yet? It usually only takes three three months to be complete." Bernard asks, sitting on the edge of my bed.

"Santafacation? You mean my dad growing a beard that can't be shaved off, his hair turning white, and him gaining 150 pounds? If so than yes." I turn back to him.

"Oh good. I was afraid that the unwillingness would effect it." Bernard sighs.

"So wrapping and ribbon tying?" I ask.

"Yes, two very important parts of Christmas. We will practice until you get it just right." He pulls out tape and scissors and sets them next to the paper.

This is gonna be a long time.

(TIME SKIP BROUGHT TO YOU BY FED EX)

It's been over three hours wrapping. I finally got it just right. I've been fumbling over the ribbon tying though. I can't seem to get it right.

"Christmas Eve I believe it was 1955, Dubuque Iowa. Santa's making his way down a very dusty chimney when, CRASH- BOOM-ZING! A bow catches a rusty nail and rips off. Santa loses his footing and plummets all the way down through the chimney mr gets wedged between brick and cement and can't move. Now we don't want that to happen again do we?" Bernard monologues.

"That might be a little funny seeing my dad fall. But seeing as falling 20 feet instantly kills Santa's, maybe that's a bad idea." I look up at him.

"Is this one good enough yet?" I ask him handing the box to him.

"Exemplary, actually! I knew you could do it (y/n)!" He praises.

My cheeks heat up slightly. Somehow his praise makes me act different than others.

"Now, next time I see you we will work on placing the presents under the tree." Bernard stands.

"We don't have a tree. Mom used to buy us a real one each year, but after she passed we never bought one again." I get up off my knees.

"Well, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it." He shakes his head.

"Can you stay? Dad won't be home for a couple hours!" I ask him.

"Well, I don't feel great leaving Curtis in charge for too long." He rubs his arm.

"Please??? Just a little bit longer surly won't hurt!" I practically beg.

He sighs. "I guess half an hour more won't hurt."

I jump up, wrapping him in a tight hug. We nearly fall onto my bed with the amount of force I put into the hug.

" I like you, ya know?" I whisper to him.

"I kinda got that when you kissed me." He whispers back.

I snort and place a kiss on his cheek. Suddenly my ears start to feel like they are on fire.

"Ow!" I say, hand going up to rub my ear.

"What's wrong?" Bernard's face shows concern.

"My ears have been killing me lately. I don't know why though." I sit on my bed, legs crossed.

"I didn't think it'd happen this quickly. I guess I should have warned you." He grimaces, sitting down next to me.

"Warned me what?!" I ask, face full of worry.

"Well, uh, you're ears are changing." He takes my hands into his.

"Changing?" I ask, baffled.

"You know how your dad's changing. You're changing too. Just not as much. You've already got the power to talk to animals, but now your ears are going to become pointed. Your ears are going to hurt until they have fully transformed." Bernard discloses.

"Ugh," I groan. "how long will that take?"

"Actually I don't think you'll have to worry about that anymore." Bernard bites his thumb.

"What does that mean?" I ask.

"You might want to look in the mirror." Bernard says, like the fox caught in the henhouse.

I rush to my bathroom. Looking in the mirror I can see that my ears are now pointed. How am I gonna be able to walk around like this. Good thing that hat has ear flaps.

I walk out of the bathroom, cheeks red from partial embarrassment. Bernard's got the same look in his eyes when we kissed last.

"I love you." He blurts out, hand quickly covering is mouth and eyes going wide.

"I think I love you too Bernard." I swallow.

I walk over to him, pulling him onto the bed with me. His eyes dart from mine to my lips. I reach up and brush the hair from his face. Even sitting down, he's taller than me. He kisses me, one hand on my back and the other entwined writhing my own hand. This is different from before. More passionate. Our lips clash against each other. Suddenly a knock at my door pulls us away from each other.

"Honey! I'm back from work! I was wondering if you wanted to order pizza for dinner tonight!" My dads voice snaps is out of it.

"We'll talk later. I'm sorry we got interrupted." I whisper into his neck.

"It's fine. We will have plenty of time in ten months or so." He whispers back, a ghost of a smile on his lips.

I get up and walk to the door. I turn around and see Bernard gone.

"Yeah! Pizza sounds awesome! Can we get a veggie lovers one this time though?" I ask, unlocking the door.

I swing the door open and see my dad standing there. It seems like he's gotten bigger if possible. His eyes go to my ears and I subconsciously go to cover them.

"What the hell is this (y/n)? What's up with your ears?" He says pulling on one of them.

"First off, ow. Secondly, it's part of my transformation. Like you gained weight and grew a beard. I grew pointed ears." I explain.

"This is crazy! That was just a dream!" He says, trying to convince himself more than me.

"It wasn't a dream dad!" I argue with him.

"How do you know that?" He asks.

"Because my soulmate has been visiting me when your at work! That's how!" I burst at him without thinking.

"What? Soulmate?!" Dad stands confused.

"Yes! Bernard ended up being my soulmate. That's why I was born with a tattoo! Because it's not a tattoo, but a way of knowing who your soulmate is!" I seeth.

"Why that's wonderful!" Dad squeezes me.

"Too tight dad!" I choke out.

" I guess I knew that that night was real, but logic stopped me from realizing it." He let's me go.

"I love you dad." I hug him.

"I love you too honey." He hugs me back.

My first edit! I posted this on tiktok and thought y’all over here might like it too! 😁