Christmas with the Calvins

Chapter Twenty-Nine

"Jessica!" Neil greeted his stepdaughter. She was dressed from head to toe in clothes that she had worn before becoming an elf. Instead of an old pair of Bernard's slacks, she had on a normal pair of jeans. Instead of a Christmas sweater or other festive top, she was wearing a lavender t-shirt and ski jacket. Her feet were snug in a very worn out pair of UGG boots and a knit winter hat was pulled firmly over her hair.

"Hey Neil, Mom, Charlie." Jess greeted them all with a half smile and an awkward nod of recognition.

"Oh Scott you didn't tell us that you'd brought Jess along!" Laura gushed. She wrapped both her daughters in a warm hug.

"Well Laura, that's because I didn't bring Jessica along." Scott insisted. He looked down at his daughter with crossed arms. "What are you doing here Jess?" Sneaking away from the Pole had been easy. All she had to do was ask for a jetpack, but facing her dad's disproving look made Jess question if coming here had been the right thing to do.

"I um...I wanted..." She floundered for an explanation. What could she say really? She wanted to help with Charlie? He already had three parents who were more than capable to take care of him. That she couldn't stand being around Bernard at the moment? It was embarrassing to admit to any of them how bad her marriage was currently failing.

"Mom, can Jessie stay in my room while she here?" Lucy asked, her brown eyes flickered between her two parents.

"Well, you see Lucy, you sister has a lot of work to do, at home, in Canada." Scott growled the last half of his sentence at Jess.

"Can't she stay for a few days, Uncle Scott?" Lucy begged.

"Yeah, what's the harm Dad, let her stay." Charlie agreed.

"Jessica Calvin!" A very angry Bernard shouted into the workshop. It was bad enough that she had left work before all her tasks had been completed, but when he had come home to find his wife not there, the head elf was infuriated. Maybe she went back to work. He had thought. But here the workshop was dark and empty as it should have been. His anger only mounting, Bernard took to the nearest staircase. He charged up the stairs two at a time, spouting elfish swears as he went. Disrupted by all the sudden noise, Curtis poked his head out from his office.

"Bernard?" The number two elf questioned sleepily, his eyes squinted up at Bernard in the dark.

"Curtis," Bernard exhaled the elf's name in a sigh. "Is Jessica in there with you?"

"Where? In my office?" Curtis snorted. "I don't think she even knows I have an office."

"Well I can't find her anywhere." The head elf explained. He seemed more concerned than annoyed now.

"I'm sure she's around somewhere." Curtis shrugged. "Try going home for once." He advised before slipping back into his office.

"I did go home!" Bernard announced as he barged into the keeper of the handbook's office. His old office. That really annoyed Curtis. Despite the fact that Bernard had moved up to Head Elf hundreds of years ago, he still treated the Christmas Handbook office as his own.

"What do you mean you already went home? You went home and she wasn't there?" Curtis questioned, still slightly annoyed with his boss.

"Yes Curtis!" Bernard hissed. "That's what I'm trying to tell you!"

"Like I said, she has to be around." Curtis shrugged again. "Where does she usually hang out?"

"Well...umm...She-she used to like to sit in my office before..." Bernard let his sentence trail off, a guilty look showing itself.