"Bernard!!"
He turned around to see Curtis, running towards him through the lightly falling snow.
"What is it now?"
"Santa needs to see you right now."
"Fine."
With that he disappeared, he loved being able to teleport, it beat having to walk, or more often run around the North Pole. Magic was one of the great perks of being an elf to him. He called it the three T's: teleportation, the one he was best at, telekinesis, not the best, and telepathy, the one he rarely used.
He also loved his job, but at times it just felt like it was too much. But it was all he knew, he had no family, and had all but given up on dating, because there were few others like him. So he immersed himself in his work, and tried to forget about how different he really was.
He was half-elf, he had worked hard for centuries to get the position of Head Elf, and he hated himself because of it. He felt so different from everyone else, though truth be told he was the one elf that everyone wanted to be, but no one told him that.
He appeared outside the door to Santa's office, he knocked on the door and entered.
"You wanted to see me Santa?" Bernard said walking towards the desk.
"Yes, come on in Bernard." Santa said with a small wave.
"So what is so important that had Curtis running around like a chicken with his head cut off?"
Bernard said with a laugh, as he sat down on a stool opposite the most famous legendary figure of all time.
"Now that would be a sight to see." Santa said with a chuckle, " but down to business." Santa said suddenly very serious. Bernard could sense that he was apprehensive about something.
"What's going on?" Bernard asked worried because he'd never known Santa to be like this.
"I have a favor to ask."
"Anyth…" Santa held up his hand stopping Bernard.
"Let me continue. You need to hear what it is, but I need you to know that I'm asking you because you're the only one I feel I can trust with this." Santa looked at the Elf sitting across from him, he could see curiosity in his brown eyes.
He admired Bernard, but there were times when he just didn't understand the Head Elf. He had been Santa for only about twenty years now, which he knew was a very short time for the elves, and he had made a point to know as much as he could about each of them. To his surprise he had been able to find out very little about Bernard. At least until about his twelfth year as Santa, that revelation stuck with him. It was during the summer when the elves come together to go over the laws, and make amendments and such. He found it to be like America's government, except it was only held every twenty-five years. And it was then he saw a side of Bernard he didn't think could exist.
-------Flash back------
"Come on Curtis, you have to do this!" Bernard said angrily at the Number 2 Elf.
He was pacing, and Santa was too shocked at his behavior to speak up, and let them know he was there.
"I told you last time no, and I'm telling you again, NO, I will not." Curtis said defiantly to the dark haired elf that was now giving one of those looks that could kill, if it were possible.
"Why not. You agree that it is wrong! So what's the problem, I'd do something about it except, I can't introduce a proposal because of my position!" He said heatedly as he sat down.
"You'll have to talk someone else into it. Because I won't." and with that Curtis turned around and walked out of the elf's office shaking his head. For the past few centuries it was always the same thing, him wanting to get that law passed.
Bernard placed his head in his hands as he leaned on his desk. He didn't understand why they just wouldn't pass the damn law. It wasn't like it was a hard decision.
"Umm.. Bernard what was that all about?" Bernard jumped about a foot in the air. He whirled around to find Santa standing right inside the door.
"Nothing." He said curtly, wincing when he realized the tone he had used. "It was just a small argument." He said picking up some papers and straightening them out.
"It sounded like more than that." Santa said moving over to the desk, "mind telling me what is going on."
"Like I said it's just a small argument." He said dismissively.
"It sounded like more than that."
"I assure you it wasn't." Bernard said forcing a smile, that he felt probably looked as false as it really was.
"All right then, but if you want to talk about it I'm all ears." Santa said as he turned and walked out.
He walked around the shop, and found who he was looking for soon enough. The elf was in the middle of badgering a couple of the elves who were there making sure everything was going smoothly, they only had about half the number of elves as usual working this time of the year.
"Curtis can I talk to you for a moment?" he said to the young elf.
"Sure Santa what can I do for you today?" He said with a cheery smile.
"Can we talk in private?"
"Sure right this way." Curtis said as he waved Santa over to follow him into another room, which was empty of workers. "Now what is it that you want to talk about, the work is going great."
"Yes, yes, I can see that, but that's not what I want to talk about." he said interrupting Curtis. "I'd like to know what the argument you had with Bernard was about this morning."
"Oh,… that." Curtis said sitting down. "Well I guess you ought to know, especially since you've found he won't tell you."
"Yeah, I encountered that problem." Santa said as he sat down.
"Well here it goes, I'm going to give it to you in brief, if you want more you'll have to try and get it out of him." Curtis took in a large breath before continuing. "As you may have noticed Bernard looks older than most Christmas elves, this is because he is half elf. Now you may not think that is such a bad thing, but in theory it is, and in fact such unions I guess you could call them are shunned nowadays."
"Why is that?"
"I'm getting there, so hold on. Now, there has been no half-elf born for centuries, as far as we know, mostly thanks to Bernard's little personal crusade."
"But he is half-elf. What does he have against I guess you could say himself?"
"Ok, as I'm sure you've noticed us elves are very young looking to humans. Well I'm not going into details, but lets just say maybe the oldest a few of us look is maybe what? 13? And well let's just say the mother is usually human."
"Ok, I think I get the idea." Santa said.
"Well, for centuries Bernard has been trying to get it made illegal.
-----End flash back----
"Santa?" Bernard asked, concerned. He couldn't remember the last time Santa had spaced out like that.
"What? Oh sorry about that, just got lost in my thoughts for a moment there," He said shaking his head slightly, trying to bring himself back to the present.
"I need you to go to Bristol, Tennessee." Santa said trying to read the elf's reaction.
"Why?" Bernard asked puzzled.
"There is someone I need you to bring back to the North Pole, her name is Sanya Evans."
"Wait a minute. What do you want me to bring her back for, I mean even if it were possible to bring her back. You know it's impossible for me to teleport a human into the North Pole, not like I would if I could, it's insane." Bernard said shocked at what he had just been asked to do.
"Bernard, I need you to do this, besides I think you will find it rather easy to teleport her back, it's the getting her to come willingly."
"If she doesn't want to come, then why?"
"The council and I are concerned about what could happen if she isn't brought here."
"Wait a minute you said teleporting her here would be easy. You know I can't teleport someone non-magical."
"Yes, I know."
"Santa what aren't you telling me?"
He sighed, he had hoped Bernard would have agreed with out wanting to know so much, but then again he figured it might be better if he knew everything.
"She's half elf,"
"What!" Bernard gasped as he stood up, "How old is she?"
"She'll be twenty soon." Santa said, and he saw anger, and then what he thought may have been pity cross his face, but both were soon gone, and it was replaced with a mask of nothing.
"And Mother Nature said to mention that she is already showing some of her magical abilities."
Bernard groaned, as he rubbed his forehead. "I guess I better leave now then. I'll be back as soon as possible."
"Good" Santa said as he stood up." I've had some normal clothes placed in your office, and good luck."
A/N
Please review! Tell me if you like it or not, constructive crit. Just whatever, the amount of people even slightly interested will decide if I continue.