A Cold Winter's Night, Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own the original characters or places.

After gaining his footing, Finney was able to pull Bosco out with the help of his rescuer. Collapsing on the ground beside an unconscious Bosco, he looked up expecting to see a member of the rescue squad. His eyes widened as he looked at the sight before him, then around at the high snow covered banks that he didn't recognize. "What? How? You're ….you're…."

"An Elf" the little man snickered in a squeaky voice. Clicking his heals together, he did a happy little Elf dance. Then looking back at Finney's slack jawed expression he commented, "What? You've never seen an Elf before?"

Brendan Finney blinked twice thinking surely he must be seeing things. Slowly pushing himself to his feet, he looked down at the little man. He couldn't have been even three feet tall. He wore a red hat with a white fluffy ball on the end of it, a thick green jacket and green pants that came just below his knees, red…..um….tights?......and black boots with little pointed toes. He looked like….well, like an Elf, Brendan decided. But elves didn't exist…

"Oow" Brendan muttered after the little man reached up and pinched his arm.

"We certainly do exist. If we didn't then why did that hurt?" The little man corrected Brendan, his hands now on his hips. "What is it with you overgrown outsiders, always doubting us? I suppose you'll say next that Santa doesn't exist either."

"Santa" Brendan mumbled. He hadn't realized that he'd made his earlier comment out loud, but he assumed he must have unless Elves were telepathic. "Oh, great. I'm losing my mind."

The Elf chuckled. "Well, what better place to lose it. I'm Simon. Simon Alexander. My friends call me Twinkletoes." He commented, doing another little dance. "But you can call me Simon. Come along now. The Missus will be wondering where I am. Besides, we have to get Maurice into some dry clothes before he freezes to death. You look like you could use a dry set yourself."

Brendan looked at the Elf curiously. "Maurice. How'd you know his name is Maurice?"

"The same way I know yours is Brendan. What else do you expect from Santa's chief Elf?" Simon asked. "Help me out here." He commented, grabbing Bosco by one arm and pulling him into a sitting position.

Brendan, not knowing what else to do, grabbed Bosco's other arm and along with Simon half dragged him over an adjacent snow bank to a waiting…. sleigh? "Are those reindeer?" Brendan asked.

"Yep."

With Brendan's help Simon lay Bosco down in the sleigh and covered him with a big furry blanket. Climbing into the sleigh and grabbing the reins, he glanced back at Brendan. "Well, climb aboard."

Brendan stood there with his mouth agape, pointing to the sleigh and then to the reindeer. "But….they…um….do they….um…"

"What? FLY?" Simon cackled when Finney nodded his head. "Of course they don't fly, silly. Do you see any wings on them? That's an old wives tale that developed over years of parents embellishing the story of Santa Claus. Reindeer flying….hehehe." Simon could barely contain himself.

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Brendan bent down to look at his reflection in Simon's Elf size mirror. "Bosco's never going to let me live this one down." He muttered.

"Hey, Brendan. Give me a hand over here, will ya?" Simon grunted, as he tried to pull Bosco's wet shirt over his head.

Brendan turned to look at him. "Oh no. No way. When he wakes up, I'm not going to be the one to take the blame for him being dressed like this." Brendan answered, pointing down to his own red Elf suite, complete with green tights and pointy toed boots. "How did you manage to have clothes to fit us?"

"You wouldn't believe the number of visitors we have up here. Most of them accidental and for some reason they can't seem to stay out of the water." Simon replied, shaking his head, as he continued to change Bosco's clothes.

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"Ahhhhhhhhh…." Bosco mumbled, pulling the blanket around him up to his chin, but not opening his eyes. "

"Bosco? Bosco, hey partner." Brendan spoke softly as Bosco cracked his eyelids open.

Bosco stared at him a minute, a bewildered look on his face, then suddenly began to grin, then chuckle. "I must have hit my head….in the fall….I'm seeing things…you……you……hahaha…..you look like…..an Elf…hehe….tights….how gay is that?"

"Um, Bosco…" Brendan replied, then pointed to Simon.

Bosco turned his head, a lopsided grin still on his face. He jumped, startled when he saw Simon, standing beside him with his arms crossed, a less than amused look on his face.

"What's wrong with tights? They're warm and they set off the knickers." Simon huffed.

"WHOA! WHOA!" Bosco shouted, and scrambled backward. He looked back and forth between Finney and Simon. "What's going on?" He finally asked Brendan.

"It's ok, Bosco. Just relax, man. I can explain." Brendan answered, holding his hands up towards Bosco.

"Explain? Explain?" Bosco questioned, throwing the blanket off of himself and scrambling to his feet. He stumbled, looking around the small room, trying to figure out where he was and what had happened.

"Take it easy, man." Brendan urged, grabbing Bosco's arm to steady him. "You nearly died out there."

"Don't….don't touch me." Bosco muttered, pulling his arm from Finney's hand. Turning abruptly, he jumped back as he saw his reflexion in Simon's mirror. His mouth dropped open, then moved a couple of times as if he were trying to speak. All he managed to do was point to the mirror and grunt. His face twisted unnaturally as his ears turned a bright shade of red.

"Uggggghhhhhh……Ugggggaaaaahhhh……whaaaaaaaaaaaa…….whooooo……" He clinched his fists and turned back to face Finney and Simon.

"I told you the yellow tights were not a good idea, man." Finney mumbled to Simon, as he began to back away from Bosco.

"WHO DID THIS TO ME?" Bosco finally managed to scream.

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"Honest, man. That's exactly what happened." Brendan finally managed to get Bosco to calm down enough to let him at least explain what had happened, although he had thought for a few moments that Bosco was going to either stroke out or kill someone, likely him.

Bosco chuckled, then shook his head. Stepping up to Finney, their faces inches apart, his look became more serious. "Do you realize how insane that is? Huh….some ELF pulled us out of the water and brought us here in a sleigh….and I was freezing to death, so you let him dress me in yellow tights and this red outfit, because he didn't have any other colored tights that would fit a man my size. IT'S INSANE, FINNEY!" He snapped, then his voice became low again. "I don't know what you're trying to pull, but it's not funny. Now you take me back to the precinct…NOW!"

"I….I can't Bosco. I don't know how we got here. Only the Elf knows." Brendan answered, his eyes not meeting Bosco's.

"The Elf. The Elf! You mean the midget in the Halloween costume? Elves don't exist, Finney!" Bosco shouted.

"OUCH!" Rubbing his arm, Bosco turned to glare down at Simon.

"If we don't exist, then why did that hurt? And we're dwarfs, you idiot! Not midgets." Simon scowled back at Bosco.

"You…you pinched me." Bosco was incredulous. "Why you little…."

Brendan stepped between Bosco and Simon just in time. "Come on, Bosco. Take it easy, man. He did save your life."

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"No way. NO WAY! You've gotta be out of your mind!" Bosco shouted at Finney and Simon, as he looked at the sleigh before them.

"Ok, you can walk then." Simon replied, climbing up on the sleigh and motioning for Brendan to get in.

Brendan, exhausted by the situation and trying to deal with Bosco, did not protest. He climbed into the sleigh, deciding that Bosco could fend for himself.

Simon looked back at Bosco one more time.

"Uh uh. I'm not going anywhere in that thing unless you tell me where we're going." Bosco replied, crossing his arms.

Simon sighed. "We're going to Toyland to see if Santa knows what to do with you two."

"Santa" Bosco couldn't hold back the chuckle. "Oh, that's a good one. Real funny." Shaking his head from side to side, he added. "I don't buy it."

"Suit yourself. It's a long walk." Simon replied, shaking the reins and starting the reindeer forward.

Bosco watched them for several yards, then looked around, seeing the moonlight reflecting off of the white snow and the dark forest all around him. Biting his lip, he looked back towards the sleigh. "Hey…..hey, wait up!" He shouted and began to run after it, the silver bells on his little pointed boots jingling as he ran.

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Disclaimers: I do not own Santa, Toyland, or anything else Christmas. No offense intended to anyone with regard tosexual preferences or to those with shorter statures than others. I felt that those reactions were true to Bosco's character in the context of the story and so I was true to the muse.

And yeah, I know I lied. Santa will be here soon. Don't worry.