Bernard, after just getting off from a long days work of correcting mistakes and yelling at the mistake makers, was walking to his home which was just south of the workshop when out popped a blonde haired, blue eyed elf by the name of Natale. "Hi Bernard" She beamed. Bernard, annoyed that he had been stopped on his way to go rest, rolled his eyes and asked what she wanted. Natale sighed, "You're always so grumpy! Anyways, it's not what I want… It's Lizzie. My twin sister and I are having a birthday party and she's just sitting around, lonely and bored. She's new here so my sister and I are the only ones she's really good friends with besides you, and my sister and I are trying to hang out with our other friends as well… We invited Lizzie to come and join us but she's just too shy." She gasped after this last sentence, then smiled once more. "So, could you please come and hang out with her?" Bernard looked at his watch and sighed gently.

"Tell Elizabella I'll be there in half an hour. I have to head home and take a shower." He said after seeing that it was only eight o' clock. Natale smiled and hugged Bernard quickly, shouting many thanks as she ran back to her home that was on the other side of the shop. "The things I do for that girl…" Bernard mumbled as he continued his journey back to his home.

Mean while, back at Natale and Eva's home, Elizabella sat on the staircase leading up to her friends' rooms and watched as their friends danced with one another and had fun. She felt, just as Natale had said, lonely and bored. She was just about to make an excuse to leave when Natale burst through the door and ran up to her, smiling, as usual. "Lizzie! I have wonderful news." Elizabella stood to greet her. "I found Bernard as he was walking home!" The blonde elf said with enthusiasm, "and since I saw that you were lonely and bored, I asked him if he'd stop by and come see you!" This shocked Elizabella.

"What! You mean Bernard is on his way here!" Her face flushed and she couldn't control the butterflies that were fluttering in her stomach after hearing his name.

"In about…" Natale looked at a red clock that was hanging on her wall. "ten minutes" She hadn't noticed the obvious horror on her friend's face. "Anyways, I'm going to go and get some punch… see ya later." And with that, she left. Elizabella looked around to see if he'd shown up yet, then sat on the stair that she'd been on before. It wasn't that she didn't like Bernard… it was the exact opposite in fact. Every time she saw him, she could barely speak. She was always, alwayscalling him "Sir" even though he had told her countless times to call him Bernard. Worst of all was that he was so… handsomely sweet to her, that she could barely be around him without her face turning cherry red and her stomach feeling as if, instead of butterflies, a tornado was whirling around inside her. She had an idea… she'd tell her friends that she wasn't feeling well and scamper out the door. She stood up to grab her coat but just when she did, Bernard came up to her and smiled at her.

"Hello, Elizabella." Bernard said, looking down on her. She was only a little smaller than he was but she felt tiny next to him. He was always being so formal with her, calling her Elizabella when she'd much rather be called Bella or Lizzie than that any day. She didn't understand why he could be so formal with her but she couldn't-

"Hello, sir." Elizabella said with a smile. She'd done it again. What was wrong with her? She knew better! Bernard sighed, still smiling.

"I've told you a thousand times… call me Bernard!" He chuckled. Elizabella blushed and lowered her head.

"I'm sorry, sir" She scolded herself again. Why was she ALWAYS calling him that! Bernard grinned again and shook his head, mumbling something about how some people never learn. She smiled at him and then lowered her reddened face again.

He smiled and offered to get her something to drink and the second she said she wasn't thirsty, Eva called out, "Okay everyone! We're going to play spin the bottle! EVERYONE has to play!" Bernard's smile faded and he rolled his eyes. "That means you Bernard!" Eva growled.

Bernard looked at Elizabella, who was a little unsure about all of this, and sighed. "Let's go take a seat then, I suppose." He escorted her to the circle that was quickly forming around an empty glass coke bottle. Elizabella sat beside him; nervous about whom she'd have to kiss. "Don't you think this is a bit inappropriate?" Bernard said, glaring at Eva… they'd never really liked one another. "As head elf, I could report this you know…"

"Bernard, don't be such a sour sport!" Natale interrupted. "You wouldn't want to ruin everyone's' fun!"

"Fine… Fine…" He sat quietly and waited his turn. He wasn't ever landed on and for that, he was grateful, but now he would HAVE to kiss someone. He rolled his eyes and before touching the bottle, objected once more saying that he was wasting his time. He spun it anyway. The bottle whipped around the circle vigorously, almost every girl there besides Eva, wishing it would land on her. It stopped on Elizabella who was lost in a day dream of Bernard kissing her. Little did she know, her dream had come true. Bernard smiled a bit and then turned toward Elizabella, who was still lost in her own little world. "Elizabella?" Bernard beamed in an almost seductive voice. There was no answer. Elizabella swore she was imagining it.

"Lizzie!" Natale called out. Still no reply.

"Bella!" Eva yelled. Elizabella suddenly came out of her dream and looked up.

"Oh! I'm sorry guys!" She looked around, confused as to why all the attention was on her. She then looked at the bottle that was pointed at her like a loaded gun. "Oh… wh- who's turn is it?"

"Bernard's." Natale replied, grinning. Elizabella turned to her right, only to see Bernard beaming at her with his beautiful brown eyes.

"Ready?" Bernard asked in the same, smooth seductive voice. Elizabella swallowed hard and nodded. "Come here then." He leaned toward her and for a moment he was so close to her lips that she could feel his warm, soft breath dancing across her face. In an instant, however, he kissed her cherry red cheek, and pulled away, grinning slyly to himself.

"That doesn't count!" Eva yelled. Bernard began to point out, in a matter of fact tone, that she hadn't clarified what kind of kiss it had to be. Elizabella paid no attention. She was more focused on the fire that was forming on her cheeks. They skipped Elizabella since she had already been kissed… no matter what type of kiss it was and also because Bernard was silently protesting against Elizabella kissing another elf. A few more spins went by and neither Elizabella nor Bernard was landed on and everyone was beginning to grow tired of the game. Natale stood up and turned on some slow music and Eva dimmed the living room lights so that all of the couples that were there could dance. By this time, Elizabella had returned to sitting on the steps alone while Bernard talked to Judy, who was deciding whether to dance with Curtis or not. Soon, though, Bernard nonchalantly strolled over to Elizabella's seat and held out a hand, rather charmingly.

"Would you like to dance?" Bernard asked, smiling gently at her.

"Oh… I um… don't know how. Sorry, Sir" Elizabella replied quietly.

"It's not hard." He winked at her and grabbed her hand, gently leading her to the dance floor as "The Christmas Song" By Owl City played on the speakers. Bernard took her soft, ivory arms and wrapped them around his neck and brushed his finger tips against her skin as his arms traveled around his waist.

"What now?" Elizabella asked, blushing fiercely.

Bernard couldn't help but to quietly laugh at her ignorance. "Just follow my lead." He began swaying back and forth and she slowly melted in his arms and laid her head on his chest once she was comfortable. "Elizabella…"

"Call me Lizzie… or Bella… anything but my name… Please, Sir." She whispered back.

"No." Bernard said simply. This confused Elizabella because no one had ever refused to call her by her nick names.

"Why?"

"I think your name is beautiful… and unique. Just like you." Elizabella blushed and didn't respond. "I wanted to ask you…"

"Yes?"

"After this is over… will you and I go back to the way we were? Never talking unless we have to and only seeing each other at work?"

Elizabella paused for a moment and then held him tightly as if she were afraid that they would go back to the way they were and she would lose him again. "I hope not…Bernard."

Bernard smiled and held her tightly as well, saying softly in her ear, "Me too."