** Okay, I don’t own (or wish to own) This Santa Clause 2! I just want Bernard! HE’S MINE, AND NOT CRYSTALHORSE72’S!!!!!!!! Actually, we’re sharing him ^_^ Well I’m rambling on so ENJOY!**

Bernard looked around Santa’s workshop in the North Pole, the thought of all the laughter and love all around him made him smile. He watched all of the childish elves make toys for all of the children around the world from the second story balcony of the workshop. All his life he had grown up in the North Pole, and he hope it would stay that way forever.

“Hey Bernard!!” called Santa from below. He was helping Curtis keep track of the Christmas letters coming in for the holiday season. “Come on and give us a hand with counting these Christmas letters!!”

“Why don’t you just make a clone of yourself to help??” he shouted back with a laugh recalling the events of the evil Santa Clause clone. He could see Curtis glaring at Bernard at the thought of his mistake of making the clone.

Bernard walked to the big staircase and made his way down them, making little sound as his feet nimbly glided him. He had barely noticed Judy passing him by, only her tall princess hat reaching up to his height. She had a tray in her hands, Bernard guessed she was delivering another fresh cup of cocoa to Santa.

“Santa has been looking for you,” she said with a bright smile on her pretty face. All of the sounds of the working elves had muffled her voice a little, but Bernard’s ears could hear the smallest sound ever.

“I know. I guess I have to help him count the Christmas letters again!” He shrugged his shoulders, making Judy giggle gleefully.

“Well I have to get back to work. See you around, Bernard!” she said turning herself around to walk back to the kitchen to prepare more cocoa. Bernard watched her leave not realizing a smile was spread upon his face too.

“Bernard...” loomed a faint voice inside his head. He hadn’t noticed. “BERNARD!” Curtis said making Bernard jump. Bernard looked at Curtis with a sense of annoyance in his eyes. He crossed his arms, tapped one foot and glared at Curtis. He waited for Curtis to give him a lecture and get it over with. They both didn’t speak for a moment, Curtis not taking the hint of Bernard's waiting.

“What is it!?” he finally said ending the tapping of his foot.

“Santa needs you and he needs you now!” Curtis turned and hurried angrily over to where Scott Calvin was playing with one of his busted toys.

“Stupid calculators! The more complicated they get, the more I get confused!” He shook his head and handed the calculator to Curtis.

“Um Santa??” piped up Curtis yanking slightly at Santa’s red shirt. Scott leaned over without saying a word and listened to Curtis. “The calculator isn’t on,” finished Curtis in a small voice. Scott seemed dumbfounded.

“Like I said Curtis, they make calculators more complicated nowadays!” He lowered his voice and leaned in close to Curtis. “But up here... we can fix that can’t we??” Curtis smiled and nodded his head abruptly.

“Troubles with the calculators again, eh Santa??” said Bernard joining in on their conversation.

“Ah well what can I say?? It’s hard to operate a calculator without it even being turned on!” He took the calculator from Curtis’ hands and started fiddling with it again.

“Bernard...” began Curtis.

“Yeah, yeah I know! Ok, where do I start on calculating the Christmas lists...”

“It’s not about that!” snapped Curtis loudly drawing the attentions of some nearby elves. Curtis looked at all of them and grinned turning a bit red in the face. He lowered his voice a little and continued: “It’s about the Big Guy’s son... Charlie.”

Bernard didn’t take the hint. “What about him??” he said shrugging his shoulders slightly.

“He’s having some issues...” explained Curtis.

“About what??” Bernard said frowning. “I mean just last year he was having school issues... I mean what else is there to a teenager’s life??”

“Love,” replied Curtis folding his arms knowingly. Bernard realized the consequences of love coming over a teen’s life. He nodded his head in understanding.

“So, why did you bring me into this??” he asked.

“You’re the only one who can help Charlie!” said Curtis annoyed that Bernard wouldn’t get the idea. “You’re the only one who can help Charlie because you yourself have gone through the same things he’s going through now!”

The thoughts of Bernard’s past floated in his mind, making him angry at the thought. “I don’t want to be apart of it!” He turned around abruptly and stomped quickly away from Curtis.

“Bernard! I...” said Curtis jogging alongside of Bernard trying to talk some sense into him.

“CURTIS!!! I don’t want to hear it!” With those words Curtis realized he shouldn’t have tried to ask him to help Charlie.

“Bernard misses her too much,” he said to himself. “I knew I shouldn’t have asked him to...”

~*~

Bernard closed the door of his bedroom, controlling his anger a bit. He rested his head on the foggy glass the doors were made of and thought. Suddenly, without reason, he stepped back and punched the door trying to let out his anger. A small boom could be heard throu out his bedroom, but only he could hear it. The door did not crack, but his knuckles started to throb. He rested his knuckles in his other hand, and with his back pressed again the glass, he slid to the floor drooping his head. Tears managed to escape the corners of his eyes, but not caused by the pain of his knuckles, but from the pain of his heart.

“Rosie,” he said above a whisper. How he longed to see her again. He wanted to see her bright face smile at him... just once more. But he knew it was lost, he could no longer see her. “It’s my fault,” he said to himself tenderly. “It’s my fault.”

“Bernard??” said Judy’s tiny voice. Bernard could feel the door opening against his back, and he jumped up quickly rubbing his cheeks.

“Oh... hi Judy,” he said with no sound of happiness in his voice. He looked at her, and of coarse saw a tray with a steaming hot glass of cocoa on it. She had no smile on her face, which made Bernard look at her twice to make sure it was Judy.

“Is something wrong?? she asked him, her eyes almost pleading him for an answer.

“No... nothing’s wrong,” replied Bernard. He held his head in one hand and walked mournfully over to his balcony overlooking the magical city. Silence fell over them and Judy watched the elves’ beloved Bernard have sadness overcome him. She placed down the tray beside the now open door and rushed across the room to where Bernard stood.

“I know what you are sad about, Bernard...” she started. Bernard looked over his shoulder and saw the small elf. She looked at the ground, afraid that she had said the wrong thing.

“Judy,” Bernard said resting on one leg down to Judy’s size. She looked at him, her once bright eyes saddened by Bernard's loss. The tears forming at the corners of her eyes made Bernard want to die. “Judy, don’t feel bad for me! Please don’t cry!”

“I miss her too Bernard... if... that makes you feel better.” She walked away from Bernard without saying anything else.

“What do you mean??” asked Bernard. “I- thought you didn’t know her.” Judy stopped at the door, and turned and looked at Bernard, tears now streaming down her cheeks.

“She was my sister,” she said quietly. “I share your pain.” With those last words she left Bernard's room, not bothering to deliver the cocoa she brought along with her. Bernard was shocked, and grieved now not by his own pain, but by Judy’s pain. No one could even suspect her sorrow, always hidden away by her bright smile.

Bernard now felt tears come to his eyes. “Judy...” he said to himself, now realizing that Judy isn’t the cheerful, bright eyed elf he had always known. Now he knew they were bonded by each other’s sorrow.


Chapter 2