Chapter 9: To follow the rules or to not?

Scott had noticed the change in Bernard's behavior, his mind wasn't on work all the time anymore, in fact he couldn't wait to be done working so that he could be with Ella. Ella was still busy training Chet. Ben didn't do much except entertain and play sports. He was always an athlete, he played football with the elves and soccer, his two favorite sports.

"Bernard." Scott said as Bernard walked by.

"Yeah?" Bernard said stopping.

"Is it just me or are you and Ella acting different?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're acting like you're – you know – together."

He sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Well are you?"

"No."

"No? Why not?"

Noah was coming. "Later." Bernard told him quietly so that Noah wouldn't hear him. Then he walked off.

Ben was outside training by playing soccer. He had an audience too. The elves had made and put up a soccer net for him just outside of the town, over by where the ice was. But, they put it a little too close. The ball went on the ice and he walked onto the ice to get it. He didn't think anything of it knowing his mom skated on it and it was so cold. So he walked to the ball and picked it up. Once he took one step to go back the ice cracked and broke underneath him. Ben fell through the ice.

"Ben!" the elves yelled who were with him. they took off heading to the workshop.

"Ella!" they screamed inside the workshop. Scott could see they were distressed.

"Whoa, whoa, what's wrong?"

"Ben fell through the ice." One of them said breathless.

They all ran to the ice. The fire elves dealt with the problem and pulled him out. Scott carried him, he was unconscious, and took him inside. The doctor came to take care of him as well as Ella.

"Ben, on my god." She said rushing to his side as Scott laid him down on a blanket. "I know what to do, go."

She knew she had to take his wet clothes off to get him warm. Considering she was his mother, the person who changed his diapers when he was a baby and had obviously seen him naked before she didn't think he would mind that much. She got his clothes off and wrapped the blanket around him and put him by the fire. She stayed sitting behind him and he rested against her. She tried not to cry or get worried.

"You're going to be fine." She whispered in his ear.

Bernard heard the news and came as soon as he could.

"Ella, what happened?" he asked worried kneeling down next to her and Ben.

"He fell through the ice."

"That ice hasn't broken in hundreds of years, how'd it break now?"

"I don't know." She said and her worrying was getting to her and she started to cry.

"Please don't cry, he'll be ok."

She put her head down on her son's crying. Bernard stayed until Ben woke up. Ben started groaning in discomfort.

"Ben, honey."

"Mom?" he said slowly with his teeth chattering. "God, it's cold."

"How do you feel?"

"Cold, didn't I just say that?"

"Well his attitude's fine." She said which made her feel a little better.

"Very funny."

"Can you feel everything?"

"Uh…I think so."

"I think he's safe from frostbite." Bernard said.

"Why do you say that?"

"They got him out and here pretty quickly."

"I've fallen through ice before mom it's no big deal."

"It's colder up here than it is there."

"So."

She sighed. "Can you sit up?"

He did. She got up and grabbed more blankets.

"I think I'm good." He told her.

"I still cant believe that ice broke. It just rubs me the wrong way, something's not right I know it."

"We'll get somewhere to investigate it if it'll make you feel better." Bernard told her.

"It doesn't seem strange to you?"

"No it does, because it's always been frozen over, no ice around here ever breaks."

"Then by all means have it checked out."

"Ok." Bernard said and got up to go do just that.

"Mom, I'm ok, you can calm down."

"I don't think so, I'm your mother it's what I do."

"Like I said, this isn't the first time."

"I know, but still. Plus I know what it's like because I've done it."

"You have?"

"Yeah."

"When?"

"You were little, only a couple years old."

"Oh. I wish I could stop shivering, it's annoying."

"You will once you warm up."

"Maybe some hot chocolate would help."

"Ok, I'll go get you some."

On her way to the kitchen she ran into Bernard.

"I got them checking it out."

"Good."

"I'm surprised you left him alone."

"He wants hot chocolate."

"Ah."

He went with her to the kitchen to get it. While Judy made it she talked to him.

"Bernard."

"Hm?"

"Can we talk later?"

"When is later?"

"After shut down."

"Ok."

"K." she said as Judy handed her the hot chocolate and then she left with it.

"Here honey, careful."

"Yes mommy." He said mocking her.

"Not funny."

"Well stop being a mother hen."

"Oh hush."

He just smirked and drank his hot chocolate quietly.

Later on that night Bernard went to see Ella after he made sure everything was shut down. Ben was fine and was in bed already passed out.

"Ok now what?"

"Don't." she said pointing a finger at him annoyed.

"What?"

"Forget it. Look, we need to figure this out now, we should've figured it out the night we – "

"Figure what out Ella?"

"What we're going to do. Actually what you're going to do."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean is this going to end like it did last time? Are you going to push me away again because of some rule? Or are you going to go against it?"

He sighed.

"Well?"

"You know I want to."

"Then do it."

"Ella."

"Why is this so hard for you? It's just some stupid supposed rule that some yahoo made who knows when and who knows why, and he or she was obviously a moron who didn't know anything. It's not like it's a law with consequences, nobody cares. So why do you?"

"I don't know."

"Just tell me now; do you want to be with me or not?"

"Of course I do." he said walking to her and he put his hand on her cheek.

"Then be with me."

He smirked and kissed her once then rested his forehead against hers. "Ok."

She smiled big and hugged him.

"I'm never letting you go again." He whispered and pulled her to him for a kiss.

That night they spent together just like they did at his house. She was happy now, and complete, so was he. He didn't realize how empty he was without her until he had her back. Now, the fun part was telling her brother that she was with Bernard and she wasn't going to give him up this time, no matter what he thought of him. But Bernard was determined to prove himself to Noah, which he knew wasn't going to be easy. But that was for tomorrow, tonight was about them being happy.