Chapter 1: Return home

The day after Christmas Bernard returned to the North Pole. Everyone wanted to know where he had went during his time away and why he left without telling anybody. But when he came back and found out about the incident with Jack Frost.

"Curtis what were you doing? How did you not know he was tricking you into telling him about the snow globes?"

"I don't know."

"Ugh, that's what happens when I leave, and everyone wonders why I don't take breaks."

"So where did you go?"

"Nowhere."

"You obviously went somewhere."

"Don't worry about it, I'm back and I won't do that again, who knows what'll happen."

Curtis gave him a dirty look. Bernard ignored it and went back to Santa's office.

"Bernard, you're back."

"Yeah, sorry I left like that."

"So where'd you go?" Carol asked him.

"Nowhere important."

"Nothing to tell us?" Santa asked him.

"Not really." He said.

"O…k." Santa said slowly.

"Anyway I just wanted you to see that I was back and I'm not leaving again."

"It wasn't just Curtis's fault, he tricked me too."

"Ok, ok."

"I take it you want to get to work again?" Scott asked him knowing him.

"Yeah."

"Ok, it's good to have you back."

He just grinned and walked out.

All day they noticed Bernard wasn't acting the same, he was down, he kept himself busy like usual but it was a little more so, like he was staying busy so his mind wouldn't wander.

"Bernard." Scott called to him as he approached him.

"Santa?"

"Let's talk."

"Ok."

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah why?"

"It's just you seem…different. I mean you always work hard but this is different."

"I'm fine, it's just I was gone so I'm making up for it."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure." He said convincingly.

"Ok."

The next day he was still acting the same way.

"I'm worried about Bernard." Carol said as she sat there with Buddy.

"He said he's fine."

"Maybe he lied."

"He sounded convincing to me."

"Scott – " she stopped when Bernard walked in with his suit.

"Meeting remember?" Bernard said.

"Oh, right." He said as Bernard slipped the jacket on him. Carol wanted to say something but didn't. Bernard helped him get ready and then left so the council could come in.

"Santa? Is something wrong?" Mother Nature asked him, he was sitting in his chair like he was lost in thought.

He sighed. "It's Bernard."

"Bernard? Nothing's ever wrong with him, other than he works too hard."

"Well now he's working even harder. And he has me worried."

"Why?"

"Well as you know he's been gone for a while, during the Jack Frost dilemma and now that he's back he refuses to talk about where he went and why he left. He's not talking much about anything actually."

"Hm." Mother Nature said curious. They all looked around at each other, no one knew.

"Anyway, that's all, let's get back to this."

"Ok, then."

They got back to business and went through their meeting. But half way through it they all heard cheering and a lot of happy elves downstairs.

"What is going on down there?" Scott said and got up. He headed to the workshop and met Bernard. "What's going on?"

"I don't know I was in the kitchen."

They rushed there and everyone scrambled to the middle, but they couldn't really see who or what they were trying to get to.

"Ok, ok, stop!" a woman said loudly, she was the one they were trying to get to. "I'm happy to see all of you too but this is too much, back up, please." She told them.

They all backed up and she breathed deeply now that she could again. "Thank you."

They still couldn't see who it was.

"Hey! What's going on?" Scott asked.

A whole bunch of people started saying, "It's Ella" and "Ella's here".

"Ella? Who's Ella?" Scott asked. Bernard froze and then walked off, when Scott turned he was gone. And he returned to the meeting. "Ok, apparently someone's here."

"Who?"

"Ella somebody."

"Ella?" Mother Nature asked. "Could it be?"

"What?"

"Ella Amnore."

"Ok but who is she?"

"She is the daughter of the old Santa Clauses."

"Ah, the one before me?"

"No."

"Anyone before that she'd have to be…old."

"She is, but she doesn't look it."

"Ok how old?"

"Um…well, Michael was Santa in the 1800s."

"1800s?"

"Yes."

"How is she still alive?"

"She was born here at the North Pole, the spirit of Christmas keeps her alive, just like the elves and the pole."

"Wow."

Everyone was looking at cupid who tried to ignore it.

"What?" Scott asked noticing. "Cupid?"

"I might know what's bothering Bernard."

Scott waited for an explanation.