Chapter Twenty – Two: Not Even a Cupid
After Lucy went to bed, I went to my room and took out my music box. I opened it hoping I could talk to Sasha, she was always able to put me in a better mood. After a few bars, Sasha appeared before me.
"Hey, what's up?" She smiled.
I shrugged, "Just wanted someone to talk to."
"Where's Charlie?"
"Out." I briefly answered. She nodded slowly, I had told her enough about what had been going on that she didn't need too many details. I changed the subject, "So what's been going on with you?"
"Not much, I'm still stuck teaching at the at the elf school, Scott needs to find a Mrs. Claus, and I might be pregnant."
"Might?" I questioned, "You're not sure?"
"Still waiting on test results from the doctor."
"There aren't pregnancy tests up there?" I asked confused.
"You'd think so, but no." She replied just as perplexed.
"You guys excited?"
"I don't know yet, I hadn't really thought about being a parent and this kids would age like elves, so Bernard and I would be taking care of infants and toddlers for centuries."
'Well, there's a bright side to being human' I thought, before telling her, "Who knows, you might enjoy it. I know you guys will be great parents."
"I hope so."
"You raised me for most of my life." I reminded her, "You're going to be a wonderful mother. And when you two don't want to deal with them, bring me back to the pole. I'll watch them so you can have a day off."
"A day off is how we ended up here." She joked.
"Yours or his?"
She bit her lip and reluctantly answered, "His."
"What'd you do skip school?"
"Canceled class."
Something told me based on the look on her face that happened quite a bit when Bernard chose to take a day off during the busy season and that he probably did the same thing when she had a day off during hers. They always were pretty in sync. I had never really known a couple that worked as well together as they did. I don't know if anyone we knew did to be honest. Their friendship over the centuries deepened their connection and their years apart only to come back together seemed to only make their relationship stronger. Even the cupids knew it was a waste of time to meddle with the pair.
Flashback
- Christmas Eve 1599-
Looking around the room, holding a glass of wassail in hand, I couldn't help but be bored. These parties were never really my thing, I only ever really made an appearance because it had been expected of me to attend. In these past few decades, they had been a reprieve from the current tyrant who held the reign of Santa Claus and the only time we got to see our other holiday friends. There were some of Father Time's sons, Mother Nature's daughters, Easter Bunny's kin, and Cupid's many offspring. Aiden and Isla would often make brief appearances at the parties, most likely to make sure we were all still alive.
Sasha was happy though. It was nice to see her enjoying herself, but what else was to be expected? She was talking to Bernard, she always seemed to light up around him. There was something about the mailroom elf that changed her whenever she was around him. I knew she liked him, that much was obvious, but he was too hard to read.
I took a sip of the wassail before catching the person in my peripheral had been one of the Cupids. I looked up at him, it had been Kai. Not the brightest of the cupids, but the most helpful. I took another sip of my drink, and then asked, "Is there anything that can be done about those two?" I gestured to my sister and Bernard with my drink, "She has feelings for him, but I don't know if the same can be said for him"
He shrugged, "I don't see why not, I have my blow dart on me." He took out the blow dart that had been in his bag. As he put it to his lips, he removed it just as quickly as he brought it up, "No use, waste of a dart."
"He's not interested."
"No, he's crazy about her." Kai corrected, "He's shy and doesn't know how to tell her. It's just going to take a little of time for them to work it out."
I shook my head at the memory, they were certainly given the time alright. More time than they really needed and they've been spending every moment they can catching up on lost time since. Part of me wished I could have what she did, but I don't know if I could wait centuries, literally or metaphorically, like she did.
Changing the subject, I asked, "So have you looked anymore into what happened to Dad?"
"Not since I received the cease and desist letter from the council a few months ago." She responded. Mother Nature most likely, she had been the one to typically put together those warnings. I highly doubted anyone else on the council, other than Father Time, knew about the warning. Father Time wasn't the type to care, people were going to do what people were going to do as far as he was concerned. "If I keep looking into it, it'll be brought before the council. They assumed I was looking into the Boogeyman to replace him."
I sighed, "Because technically we're the last of the bloodline. While I do think he should be replaced with someone who isn't a murderous psychopath since facing and dealing with fear is an important part of life, I highly doubt that's what you want to do with yours."
"Not particularly." She grumbled, before saying, "But really, that's their first assumption? I want to be the boogeyman? Not oh she must be looking into her father's disappearance?"
"Well, as far as they're concerned there was an accident while on the job."
"While on a surface level that makes sense…" I trailed off.
"The more you dig the less it does, I know."