Disclaimer: The Santa Clause belongs to Disney, I'm just writing this for fun.
-----
By Accident or By Design
-----
It was a very hectic day. Elves ran around the workshop frantically because everything was going wrong. Tools were missing, pieces of unfinished toys were breaking, and Santa Claus was no where to be found. The most frantic of the elves, Bernard, was preoccupied with trying to find the big guy. Two days until Christmas and Santa decided to hide? What was wrong with him?!
"Bernard?" a younger elf asked as she ran up to him.
"Not now!"
"But Bernar—"
"I'm busy so get back to work!" He gave his best glare and the elf ran off.
Santa wasn't with the reindeer, he wasn't in the workshop, and he wasn't in his office. His room was the only place left and Bernard hated going in there. Santa liked his privacy, after all. But he had no choice. It was either interrupt Santa's privacy or watch the elves burn the factory down. If it was the latter, Bernard would be out of a job. Not many places hired elves.
Bernard knocked gently on the door to Santa's room.
"Come in," he heard Santa say.
"Santa?" The room was in shambles. Clothes tossed everywhere, blankets tossed everywhere, puppets tossed everywhere. In the middle of it all was Santa, wearing his favorite pajamas. Santa wearing pajamas TWO days before Christmas? Something was most definitely wrong. "Santa, the elves—"
Santa sighed loudly. "I know Bernard, I know. Come sit down." Bernard felt like he was treading on thin ice while walking to sit next to Santa. He wasn't a very open feelings kind of guy.
"Are you okay, Santa?"
"I've been thinking…." Santa gave another heavy sigh. His shoulders were slouched and his beard had a distinct grey color, as opposed to the usual white. "I'm getting too old for this."
Bernard sat thinking for a moment. Too old? That didn't make any sense! "But sir—"
"Yes, yes, I know. I mean too old mentally. I don't think my heart is in this as much as it used to be."
"It's two days before Christmas! The workshop is a disaster, we have to get ready, and you still need to finish checking the list again. Your heart is just, I don't know, sad right now. We can fix everything up and get the sleigh ready while you check the list. Christmas is going to be okay and so are you!" Now Bernard felt like burning the factory down, job be damned. He realized he was holding Santa's arm in a death grip and let go. Santa just eyed him sympathetically.
"Bernard," he said while putting his arm around Bernard's shoulders, "the only day I can be replaced is Christmas. So, yes, Christmas will go off fine. It's just that, this time, I won't be the one in the sleigh returning at the end of the day."
Bernard felt his heart drop. A new Santa? It's happened before, of course, but Bernard still hated it. Every new Santa had to be convinced and persuaded and that job landed squarely on his shoulders. Not to mention the fact that Bernard was fond of the current Santa. You had to like the guy in charge if the factory was to run smoothly.
"This is why the factory is going haywire. Because you're giving up the job. You're giving up the job!" The look on Santa's face was one of resolution. Bernard put on a stoic face of his own. Santa patted his shoulder.
"I just have one favor to ask of you."
"Yes, Santa?"
"Don't tell the elves until I depart. I don't want any sort of commotion over this. The new Santa will be just as good."
"Yes, sir."
"Bernard?"
"Yeah?"
"Is that a tear in your eye?"
Bernard quickly wiped the corner of his eye with his sleeve. "Only allergies, Santa."
"Of course! Now we need to fix up that factory mess, don't we?" Bernard left the room to let Santa get dressed into his proper clothing. He came out with a jolly smile and a jiggling belly.
"Ho ho ho!" It wasn't long before Santa's good spirit managed to set all of the problems straight. Bernard walked along the factory floors next to Santa.
"Thank you Santa!" many of the elves said as they walked by. Everyone was in a much better mood, except for Bernard. A question had been niggling at the back of his brain. In a slightly hushed voice he turned to Santa and asked him.
"Sir, how are you going to get a replacement?"
"You know the contract better than I do Bernard. 'In putting on the suit, et cetera, et cetera, accepts the responsibilities of Santa Claus, in perpetuity to which some time the wearer becomes unable to do so, by either accident or design.'"
Bernard didn't want to be rude but he was still confused. "And?"
"By design, Bernard. By design!" Oh. Bernard had to admit that it did make sense.
"Are you going to do this at random, or something? I think most of the other Santa's gave up their post by accident."
"I have a candidate all picked out. I've had a few select elves doing reconnaissance around where he lives and he's perfect. He makes toys, he doesn't have much family and best of all, he has a young son!" Bernard was beginning to realize that this was going to work. In a few days time, there would be a new Santa. He still felt a lingering sadness that he would never admit to, but he knew he could accept this.
"What's his name?" Santa grinned and it was infectious. Bernard couldn't help but smile, if even a little.
"Scott Calvin!"
-----
A/N: Word count is 951. It's been a while since I've written anything, so it was nice to get something out. I'm assuming that since you're reading this you've read to the end of the ficlet, so, thanks for reading!