A/N: Haha... I like this story!!! Truth be told, the green beret really had no meaning to me until now... but that annoying little thing just didn't want to be left out! Stealing the show... *shakes finger at beret* Anyhoo, now the story picks up, and I hopefully won't bore you any longer with stupid Bernard collapses... ^_^ BTW, this chapter is dedicated to VickieTori, AND I HIGHLY RECOMMEND HER STORIES!!! (Don't worry... I'll bug her till she posts her Bernard story ^_^)

Return of the Red
chapter 3

A young boy, no older than ten, awoke to find himself in a strange place. He couldn't remember anything, which was probably due to the headache threatening to split his head in two. He shook violently as he propped himself up on his elbows, and then weakly to his feet. Snow blew all around him, freezing a good part of him. He was surprised to find that the tips of his ears had formed little points of ice on them.

The looked down, and realized with quite a shock that almost his whole body was blue from the cold. He had no clothes... none at all. And then, as if someone had struck him, it all rushed back.

They kidnapped him, tortured him, molested him, and then left him to die... and the Red Angel had saved him.

RED ANGEL! he screamed, throwing his head skyward. I NEED YOU NOW! YOU SAID YOU'D RETURN... please help... his strength was failing him and he fell to his knees, shaking violently from the cold. The snow burned his flesh, yet even the pain seemed dull. His eyes started to close and he began to sway, please... help me... and then, he fell face first into the snow.

~*~

He was awakened later, finding it strange that he was still alive. His eyes refused to focus and everything spun when he opened them, so he preferred to keep them shut. He could barely hear voices around him, but he couldn't understand what they were saying. He felt someone feel his ears and the finger drifted to the ice formed on the end.

he caught that one, simple word, and he somehow knew that this mistake would serve him well. He was wrapped in very warm fabric and lifted like a little child.

~*~

The many elves in the workshop all looked up, a bit surprised, to see their newest Santa holding a small figure in his arms. The limp creature in his arms had curly, black hair and looked rather scrawny, but his whole body was bruised and bloody. One, long, skinny arm hung down, and most found it strange that his fist was clenched around a deep green beret...

He was a frail boy, they soon learned, and seemed seriously traumatized. When he awoke, he merely lay there, not moving at all, the only indications of life being his breathing and blinking. One elf reached out to touch his shoulder, but at the contact, the young creature screamed and leapt in the oposite direction, falling to his knees because of his weak state and crawling to the darkest corner, where he pulled himself into a little ball and sat watching the floor. When one of the medical elves approached him, he didn't seem to notice, but when they lay a hand on his shoulder, he cried out horribly. He clawed at the hand, drawing blood with his fingernails, and the elf imediately jumped back with a pained cry. Tears ran down his face and he sat in a shaking, little ball, watching the elf with frightened eyes. Then, suddenly, his eyes rolled back into his head and he slumped into unconciousness. It was then Santa came in and cleared all other elves out.

~*~

The young boy opened his eyes to find himself still into the corner, but a blanket draped over his shoulders. A man sat in front of him, but he didn't care. As long as the oaf didn't touch him...

Are you alright, son? he asked. Elijah didn't pay him any mind. He was too deep in his thoughts, remembering those horrid last acts of his tormentors that had forever burned their way into his mind. He remembered their shouts... words he had never expected, like whore' and bastard'. He didn't understand.

Son... listen, we're here to help you, the man spoke again, but Elijah didn't care. He shiften himself so that both his elbows rested on his knees as he drew them up to his chest, and he set his hands down on his arms. Then, as hard as he could, he dug his blood-stained nails into his own skin.

STOP IT! the man cried, grabbing both his wrists and wrenching them down.

He touched me... Elijah remembered when his wrists had been grabbed by his tormentors, and he saw the man before him transform into that horrid ruffian. With a cry of fright, he struggled with all he had, trying to pull free. He managed it easily, for the man didn't seem to want to hold him.

Listen to me! he thundered, but Elijah had lost all interest in the man now that he had released him. Still, he raises his eyes to the man's and to his surprise, found something warm in them.

What do you want with me?! Elijah snarled, baring his teeth. Will you beat me, too? Just want to use me? Turn me into what I'm not?

was the simple reply, to which Elijah snorted. Listen to me! I want to know what happened. I can let you stay here till you recover, and then you can go back to your family...

I HAVE NO FAMILY! Elijah snapped, glaring at the man with utmost hatred. THEY WERE MURDERED BECAUSE OF ME! At this, the large man's eyes fell and filled with pain.

I'm sorry, he replied, making Elijah wonder a bit. What is your name, Son? Elijah wondered what to tell him. He didn't want to be who he was now... he didn't want to be Elijah, beaten and broken, no longer possessing the child innocence everyone else had. No, that wasn't him. He'd create someone new... someone who was still innocent.

he said the first name that came to mind, thinking of his St. Bernard dog at home... or at least the dog that had been there when he left.

I am known here as Santa Clause, then, he leaned closer. But between you and I, you can just call me Jarrid Stephens. He winked, and Elijah... or, Bernard it was now, wasn't it?... suddenly felt like he could trust this man. As Jarrid got to his feet, Bernard realized with a strange realization that this man looked very much like his red angel... the attire at least. His shirt was the same red, held in the middle by a black belt with red pants coming out from underneath.

Sir... may I stay here? he asked, not minding his bluntness, for he desired to be no other place in the entire world. Jarrid chuckled heartidly.

Of course. Elf as you are, you may begin as a worker, he smiled again before leaving.

And as Bernard began his work as an elf, he realized how they had mistaken him. After that, he either used the toys he had learned to make and put on false elf ears, or hide them under his hair. Inspired by the man who reminded him so much of The Red Angel, he quickly moved up the line, premoted frequently till he could be premoted no further. And in his hapiness, he forever forgot about Elijah... Or at least he tried. But The Red Angel had other plans... she would not let him forget forever.

~*~ (A/N: PS... um... this is back to normal time, not his dreams anymore)

a young girl breathed, almost growling his name. Her bare feet didn't seem effected by the snow under her feet as she stared at the castle above her. Then, with a cry of rage, she ran forward, up the steps and into the keep of the one she had sought for so many thousand years.

CATCH HER! elves cried as they all chased her, but she didn't chare. She somehow was drawn to him, knowing her way to the room he lay in.

NO! SHE'LL DISTURB HIM! one of the elves shouted, but it was too late. The girl threw the doors open and tore inside, and every other elf followed her to the doorway.

The room was completely dark save the stream of light from the open door, the light broken only by the girl and her shadow. She stood staring at the patient lying helpless there, and she remembered how helpless he had been those thousands of years ago. She stood with her fists clenched, staring at him for many long moments.

Many gasps escaped the lips of the elves as she suddenly burst forward, tears dancing from her eyes, and ran to their Head Elf's bedside. With a cry, she flung her arms around his neck and lay her head on his shoulder, sobbing with everything she had.

How could you...? she whispered angrily through her sobs. I warned you not to... how could you forget?

I'm... sorry... Bernard faintly whispered, but that got all the elves attentions. In no time, they ran forward and siezed the she-elf by her elbows, yanking her away as she fought against them, screaming for someone they didn't even know.

~*~

Bernard slowly opened his eyes, letting his dream sink into him as he adjusted his eyes to the dark. It had brought back the memory of when Jarrid had passed on. He remembered screaming for the old friend and loathing with all he had the new Santa, for he believed Jarrid could never be replaced. Over the ages, though, he had learned to get used to the coming and going of the only human amongst them.

Well, that is, the only human except him. For a long time, he had aged like a normal human boy. It slowed down over the years as the elves' magic finally took its effect on him after spending every waking moment with them. Finally, at the age of twenty-two, the elf magic finally worked completely on him and stopped his aging forever. And to his surprise, no one very questioned why he was the only adult elf.

Bernard looked around the room, smiling pleasantly at where he had been brought. It was then his eyes suddenly met another pair, glittering like emeralds. He suddenly became aware of the red-clad, she-elf above him, straddling him with one knee on either side of the Head Elf, her left hand on his chest to hold herself up, and her right hand clutching a knife pointed straight at his throat. And the way her cold stare pierced through him told him that she wouldn't hesitate to strike him.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: And the moral of this chapter?? NEVER MESS WITH ANGELS!!! ^_^ Didn't turn out as long as I dreaded it would... okay, please review!!!! ^_^