The countdown to Christmas had begun. Well, really it had begun months ago. After Christmas last year everyone took a couple of weeks off to celebrate and relax before preparations began again. But now it was December and the race to get all the toys completed in time was well and truly on.
And they were behind.
"Come on, Papa, you know I can help. There's less than a month to go, this is important!"
"So is this," Tom said, pushing open the heavy, ornate, wooden door into his plush office. The large room was filled with with half-finished inventions and toys in various stages of completion.
Marinette followed him in and shut the door behind. Out of nowhere, Tom pulled a ball of dough, threw it down on an empty surface and started kneading it. Whenever things were particularly stressful, baking was always a good way to relieve it and the elves always appreciated the treats. Sighing, she joined him and the two worked silently side by side.
After a short while, Tom spoke. "Marinette, I know you want to help but this is something I need from you. This is very important."
"Showing around a new recruit? Seriously Papa?" She finished shaping the dough and they put the tray in to prove. "Can't one of the other elves do it?"
Tom closed the drawer with a sharp snap.
"Marinette, that's enough. This is your duty and I will not have you shirk it. You are a Santa and you will act like one. Don't go passing off jobs you don't like."
Marinette sighed again, contrite this time. "Sorry, Papa."
Nodding his head, the matter decided, he beamed widely.
"Now, it's important this new recruit settles in quickly. It seems there's more and more work to be done every year. I'm glad I can trust you with this."
"Okay, Papa, I get it. I'll show them the ropes. When are they getting here?" Marinette asked, glancing around as though the person in question was hidden there.
Wrapping his arms around her shoulders Tom guided her towards the door again.
"Adrien will be arriving later tonight. You'll meet him tomorrow and start his training immediately. Now, your mother needs you in the armoury and I've got some more baking to do before I do my rounds. Have a good day and I'll see you for dinner, Sweetie." And with a kiss on the cheek Marinette was out the door and on her way to the other side of the estate.
She exchanged several greetings as she went.
From across the crowded gift wrapping room, Marinette heard a familiar shout.
"Marinette! Mari!"
Her best friend dodged and dipped across the room, practically dancing around the other elves. She made it through without crashing into anyone or causing a disaster a bright smile on her face.
"Hey, Alya," the girls hugged and Alya's expression turned sombre.
"Girl, we need to talk. You got a minute?"
"Ah, not right now. I need to go to the armoury. Rain check?"
Alya folded her arms. "Alright, but this is important. I'll definitely catch you later. Today, okay?"
"Okay, okay," Marinette agreed, already backing quickly towards the door smiling, her hands held out placatingly. "The patisserie? Three o'clock?"
Satisfied, Alya waved Marinette on her way. She glanced at her watch. It was just past eleven. Hopefully, whatever her mother needed from her wouldn't take too long and she'd be able to get back to the sewing room. This was the last chance she'd get before the new guy got there and she'd become completely useless.
"Marinette! There you are."
"Hi, Maman. Papa said you wanted me for something?"
Marinette bounced on her toes, her hands clasped behind her back. She was eager to leave already, the calming hum of the sewing machine calling to her.
"Yes, yes, come in. It's about time we get started."
"Can you believe it, Alya? She wants to start training me in martial arts. Now! As if there isn't enough to do this close to the big day. And Papa has got me babysitting some new guy. It's like they're doing everything they can to stop me helping the other elves with manufacture. I don't get it!"
Marinette threw her hands in the air and slumped back in her chair feeling defeated. Alya took a sip of her coffee then pulled out a hefty notebook and pen. As one of the lead reporters at the North Pole, Alya always carried it with her so Marinette paid it little mind.
"I feel you girl. It seems like we need all hands on deck at the moment. I'm picking up some extra shifts in wrapping and Nino has had to put some of his old shows on loop so he can help out. And you know he hates doing that."
Marinette nodded. Nino's radio broadcast went a long way to help with motivation and she knew how much pride he took in it.
"That's what I mean. So why wont they let me help?"
"I don't know, girl," Alya said. "I don't know what to tell you. But listen. I asked you to meet with me because I've found something that might be really bad, and I think it might be linked to why we can't seem to keep to schedule and are so far behind for Christmas."
Marinette sat forwards in her chair. Alya adjusted her glasses and turned her notebook so Marinette could see.
"Production has been steadily reducing for the past week. It's not much but despite all of us pulling extra shifts, fewer toys are being made."
"That's... weird," Marinette acknowledged, running her finger across the numbers on the page. Then she shrugged. "But I guess people are getting tired. Everyone's working really hard, it would make sense that they're getting slower."
Alya nodded. "I thought that too, but then I noticed that there seemed to be some people missing from the mess hall at dinner time so I checked out the CCTV and saw this."
She pulled her phone out of her pocket and flipped the screen in Marinette's direction. The image was grainy but she saw what looked like an elf on the screen. Whoever it was stopped dead, only their mouth moving, although there was no one there they could be talking to. Then, there was static on the screen. Once the picture came back, the elf was gone.
"That was Juleka. I've checked and no one has seen her in days. And she's not the only one."
Alya was getting excited, like she always did when she was on to a scoop, but Marinette could tell she was worried too.
"Have you spoken to my dad about this?"
Alya shook her head and put her phone and notebook back in her bag. "I couldn't even get a meeting with him. You know how busy he is right now. But I was thinking that maybe you..."
"Nuh uh," Marinette said. "I'm hoping you're wrong about this, but even if you're right, what can I do? Maman and Papa have my schedule so tight with training the new guy and training with Maman, I don't even have time to help on the floor. It's not like Papa would listen to me about this anyway."
"But-"
"I'm sorry Alya. If I can, I'll look into it some. Maybe Juleka is just stressed and is sick in her room? It's nearly the big day, I'll do what I can if I get some time. For now, we really need you to help out on the floor. Are you wrapping this evening?"
Alya sighed, rubbing between her eyes. "Yeah... I'm not dropping this though. I'm going to find out what's happening and I'll prove it to you."
Marinette smiled, placing her hand on top of Alya's.
"I know you will. And I believe you, something strange is going on. I'll leave it to you. But for now, I've got to get ready for the new guy tomorrow."