Chapter 5: Plan B – Backup

Once she stop skating, which is when the song ended, she looked over and saw Bernard who had that look in his eyes, he was in a trance, everyone always was when she sang. All the elves loved her singing, she used to sing Christmas songs all day on Christmas Eve. Plus he loved watching her skate.

"Bernard." She said surprised to see him after hesitation.

"Hi."

"I'll leave you two alone."

"No, it's ok." They both said at the same time. She just waved with a grin. They both sighed as she walked away. She skated backwards and little, and just skated around with her hands behind her back, nothing special just skating keeping her feet on the ground.

"You always loved it here." He said trying to make small talk.

"It helps me clear my head."

"I know."

She stopped suddenly. "What do you want Bernard?"

"Nothing."

"You came out here for a reason."

"I saw Noah, nice handy work on his cheek."

"Thanks." She said half heartedly then started moving again.

"What'd he say?"

"Nothing." she said and then went up for an axel.

"Ella, just tell me."

"Why? It'll only make things worse." She said stopping again looking at him with her arms out.

"I want to know."

"No you don't." she said and walked to the bench and sat down to take the skates off.

He already knew it was about him. "Ella, how many times do I have to apologize before you believe me?"

She just shrugged. He walked over and sat down next to her.

"I'm sorry."

She didn't say anything just got up and started walking back to the shop. He closed his eyes and sighed knowing this was going to be harder than he thought. He got up and followed her.

"Where is my brother?" she asked Scott.

"I don't know."

"Sir, two of the reindeer are missing." Curtis said running in, he was out of breath.

"Two? Which ones?"

"Comet and Prancer."

"Noah probably took them, but why two?" Ella asked herself.

"We'll wait and see if Noah comes back with them before we search."

"I'm sure he did, those two wouldn't just take off on their own."

"How do you know?"

"I know them." She said and then walked away.

Later on Noah did return with both reindeer, and another person. They landed in the stables and Noah put both back in their stables. "Good job guys." He told them and he gave each of them a cookie.

"Where are we?" the other one asked.

"The North Pole."

"Yeah right, seriously."

"I am serious."

They walked to the workshop and once inside the other one stopped, let his bag fall off his shoulder onto the ground, his hand still on it though and said, "Oh good god." With his eyes wide and his mouth open.

Noah laughed. "Come on."

"Mom's here?"

"Yep."

"Where?"

"I don't know, we'll find her."

"Noah, you're back." Scott said.

"Hi Santa."

"Please tell me it was you who took the reindeer."

"Oh yeah, sorry. It was kind of a last minute decision."

"And who is this?" Scott asked looking at the teenage-looking boy with medium-length dark hair and blue eyes, who was just a little shorter than him. He wore a t –shirt with a long sleeve shirt underneath and jeans that were a little baggy. He had his ears pierced too Scott noticed but only one ear had an earring in it, a little gold hoop that hugged his earlobe. And around his neck was a silver chain with a locket on it, the locket was shaped like an oval with a snow flake engraved on it.

"This is Ben."

"Hi Ben." Scott said holding his hand out. "Nice locket."

"Hi. Thanks it belonged to my grandpa." He shook it. "Did you just call him Santa?" Ben asked Noah.

"Uhuh."

"This is all real?"

"Of course it's real Ben."

"Ok."

"He knows you but he doesn't believe in Santa Clause?" Scott asked Noah.

"I know, that would be my sister's doing."

"What's he mean?" Ben asked Noah.

He sighed. "See Santa isn't just one person, well it is, but the person changes. And at one point in time our father was Santa."

"You're kidding me right?"

"Afraid not."

"I'm the grandson of Santa Clause?"

"Yep."

"Grandson? He's your son?" Scott asked.

"No, he's my uncle." Ben said.

"Hey Judy, can you take him to my room?" Noah said.

"Sure Noah."

"Thanks…ok he's Ella's boy." He said once Noah was out of hearing range.

"Ella's? Who's his father?"

"Who do you think?"

"You mean her and Bernard – does he know?"

"No. She didn't find out until after we left."

"Does Ben know?"

"Nope. The only person he knows to be his dad is my sister's ex-husband, Jack."

"She was married?"

"We kind of pushed her into it, to try get to her to move on."

"Oh boy, this just got even more complicated."

"I only brought him here so that he can talk her into leaving."

Noah went to join his nephew.

"This is so weird."

"I know."

"Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"Long story."

"Ok whatever."

"Come on, we gotta go find your mom."

"I have a better idea to draw her out."

"Oh really?"

They set up a piano downstairs, and everyone took a break for a performance. Scott had no problem with it because they were ahead of schedule, Bernard on the other hand did. Noah sat at the piano and started playing the song Ben had put on the stand for him, he soon realized what song it was. It was Ben's lullaby, what his mom sang to him when he was little, and it also happened to be a song their father played for them. Ben played his guitar and sang the song.

Bon Jovi: Hallelujah

I've heard there was a secret chord
that David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, Do you?
It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth
The minor Fall, The major lift,
The baffled king composing, hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty in the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you to a kitchen chair, she broke your throne
she cut your hair and from your lips she drew the halleujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Maybe I've been here before
I know this room, I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
love is not a victory march
it's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

There was a time you let me know
What's real and going on below
but now you never show it to me, do you?
And remember when I moved in you
the holy dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Maybe there's a God above
And all I ever learned from love
Was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you
It's not a cry you can hear at night
It's not somebody who's seen the light
it's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah…

His plan worked and she came out towards the end of the song. When he stopped singing she was standing on the steps looking down at him surprised to see him. He put his guitar on his back and walked up to her and hugged her.

"It's good to see you're ok."

"Of course I'm ok. What are you doing here?"

"Uncle Noah came and got me."

"This is your plan? Have him ask me to leave since I won't listen to you?"

"Basically."

"Not going to work. I'm not leaving." She said and grabbed her son's hand and led him outside.

"Mom, what's going on?"

"Please tell me it's just you, Belle's not here is she?"

"No…"

"Ok good."

"Mom?"

"What?"

"What's going on? And why didn't you ever tell me about this? Instead you let me believe Santa didn't exist."

"Because, I didn't want to remember."

"Not following."

"Sweetheart, when your grandfather died we had to leave the only home we knew and I was crushed, I just wanted to forget."

"Ah."

"I'm sorry."

"It's ok I understand."

"Good. I cant believe he brought you all the way here just to make me leave."

"Well, if you don't want to then we can stay a while, I want to."

"You do?"

"Yeah, if this is where you're from."

"Ok. You can tell your uncle you're on my side."

"Ok." He said like it didn't bother him and he went to tell him. she just smirked.