Bernard x Oc

Unplanned Disappearance

The following day, Alfina slipped on a turtleneck sweater to hide the hickeys that Bernard gave her. As for her legs, she couldn't do much but limp slightly. As they made their way to the workshop, Judy couldn't help but notice the limp and quickly walked up to her, "Alfina? Are you okay?" The elf frowned, concern etched on her face. The elves' protector swallowed and quickly thought up a lie, "Oh, I'm fine. Last night I slipped on ice and sprained my ankle. Nothing to worry about." 

"Hmm... If you say so. Did you go see Dr. Hismus?"

"Oh..." Alfina clears her throat, "Actually, Bernard helped me. He saw me land and quickly helped me up, took me to his home, and examined my ankle. Said I was lucky I didn't break it." Judy blinked at the sudden answer, "Okay, then. You're still able to help out in the kitchen?"

"Of course."

"Alright, let's go." Judy turned around and began making her way back to the kitchen. "Good lie," Bernard whispered, walking behind Alfina. She peers over her shoulder at the head elf and barely nods her head to him before following Judy.

Bernard sighed and walked into the Research and Development department where Quintin worked, "Quintin," Bernard stepped up to the red-haired elf. Quintin removes the goggles he wore off his face and acknowledges his friend, "Hello, mate! What can I do for ya?"

"Just want to know how things are going."

"Well, since you wanted to know," Quintin points to a broken piece of the sleigh, "Prancer ate too many apples and excitingly broke part of the sleigh's rail that we're repairing as we speak," He then turns to the stables, "And now, the stable hands managed to calm him down and kept the apples away from him."

Bernard turned white at Quintin's answer, "Oh, Jingle bells!"

Quintin pats the head elf's arm, "Don't worry; we have everything under control here. Someone will fix the sleigh in a few hours." Bernard faced Quintin and nodded his head, "Okay." The head elf walks out of the department and heads into his office through a quiet corridor. Reaching his office, Bernard opens the door and steps inside. The head elf blinks and then rubs his eyes. The elf shakes his head, trying to figure out what he is looking at, "What the?"

Bernard was staring at a dark tunnel in his office, "Where did-"

BUZZ!

BUZZ!

Bernard glances up at the lights above him as they flickered. A dreaded feeling drops on the elf's shoulders, and a sense of fear in the pit of his stomach. Bernard steps back from the tunnel and tries to find the doorknob, his eyes trained on the strange dark tunnel.

"Run!" His consciousness yells in his head, "Run, you idiot!" Bernard realized his legs refused to move, and his body was paralyzed with fear. 

BUZZ!

BUZZ!

Bernard swallowed a lump in his throat, and his hand finally grabbed the doorknob. He then notices a strange shape in the darkness of the tunnel. The peculiar shape takes the form of a creature with... horns.

"No." The elf whispers frightfully. His body visibly shook as he stared into the sunken eyes of the monster. The creature grinned at the frightened elf, revealing his sharp, pointed teeth, "Miss me?" The beast snarled with a sneering grin. Bernard's face turned ashen white, "H-how d-did y-you-?" His voice quivered. The beast chuckled darkly, "A little payback." Before he could utter a sound, The creature snatches the head elf's neck and throws him inside the dark tunnel.

The creature pulls out a piece of paper, drops it on the floor, and faces the scared elf, "Hehehe..." The beast moves quickly by clamping his bony hand over Bernard's mouth just as the elf is about to call for help, "I wouldn't do that if I were you." The beast warned, pulling out a damp rag from his pocket. Bernard grabs the bony hand and struggles to free his mouth. The creature shoves the wet rag over Bernard's nose and mouth, holding it tight.

"Chloroform!" Bernard's mind registered. The elf thrashed and kicked; his heart raced in fear, and he could hear his blood run in his ears. The creature held tightly as the elf's struggle slowed. "Alfina... help..." Bernard tried to communicate with the protector as his eyes closed and his body fell limp. Finally, the creature wickedly grinned and dragged the elf through the tunnel, with it closing up behind them.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Alfina felt something was wrong. As if fear had crawled into the back of her mind and warned her of an unknown danger. Holding the hot tray of freshly made cookies, Alfina faintly hears a sound. Like a struggle is being made between two people.

"Alfina... help..."

The tray slips from the woman's hands with a loud clang. The elves in the kitchen, including Carol, who was helping out, stared at the twenty-four-year-old confused.

"Sweetheart? What's wrong?" Carol walked up to her adopted daughter, worried. Alfina gazes at Carol and spins on her heels, bolting out of the kitchen, past a baffled Santa and Curtis, and up the stairs to Bernard's office. Santa, Carol, and Curtis trailed after the elves' protector in time to see her slam open the head elf's door.

BANG!

Alfina throws her hands over her mouth as she scans the room. Empty. Santa, Carol, and Curtis peer at the young woman, puzzled, "Alfina, what's wrong?" Curtis asked, a frown plastered on his face.

"I'm sure that if you're worried about Bernard, he's probably somewhere in the workshop." Santa tries to comfort her, but Alfina's attention is now brought to the floor where Bernard's hat is laid and a piece of paper is placed. Bending down, she snatches them up and reads the sloppy note. Her eyes widened in shock and fear.

"Sweetheart?" Carol rests a hand on Alfina's shoulder. Her face was ghostly white as she turned around to the three, and her hands shook. "B-Bernard's been taken." Alfina's bottom lip trembled.

"What do you mean?" Curtis whispered. Alfina lifts the note and reads it aloud, 'Revenge is mine. Your protector will never save him. Give back the suit, or your head elf dies. -Krampus.'

Carol threw her hands to her mouth, and Santa and Curtis paled after Alfina finished reading the note. "Oh my God!" Carol gasped. "He's back..." Curtis felt sick to his stomach, and Santa plopped in the nearest chair in shock.

"I'm going to look for him," Alfina told them.

"No, you're not!" Santa jumped to his feet and stared at Alfina.

She didn't want to argue with the jolly man and left no room as she glared back, "Yes, I am, Scott! It's my job to protect these elves, and Krampus has only been going after Bernard! I'm going!"

That said, Alfina storms out of the room and heads home, where her bow and arrows lay next to the kitchen table. Turning around, Alfina faces the closet doors and opens them up. Sitting inside is Tom Venandi's gun and bullets.

"Just in case," She whispers, grabbing the weapon, "I'm coming, Bernard," Alfina began to take off, heading to the northern mountains, her first hunch that Bernard was being held prisoner there.

"Alfina! Wait!" Someone calls out.