6So...I haven't written fanfiction in almost two years...but suddenly, all these BernardxEloise things started filling my head. Maybe because Christmas is coming? Aha, in any case, my last story involving Bernard and Eloise, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, is really popular, so I figured I would give them a their own set of drabbles. Well, that's it. Read on!
"So this," Eloise said, shoving yet another set of colored packets into the girl's hands, "will help you control the climate for the trees so that they don't die."
"They're just trees," the girl muttered under her breath as the Head of Decoration looked through her bag for more powdered elfin magic. Eloise's head snapped up and she pinned her with a steely glare.
"Now you listen to me!" She said fiercely, poking the poor female elf that was to be her temporary successor sharply in the chest, the diamond on her wedding ring shining with each jab. "I've been growing these trees for almost three thousand, three hundred fifty six and three-quarter years, and I will not let anything happen to them just because I have to let an incompetent, blundering, idiotic fool like you watch over my department while I'm gone. If anything bad happens to my trees, I will raise you by your thumbs with ribbon and skin you with a dull pair of scrapbooking scissors. Do you understand me?"
Looking quite alarmed for the first time since her arrival, the replacement nodded obediently. A large smile bloomed on Eloise's face. "Lovely! Now, about their food…"
From a slight distance, Bernard and Curtis had watched the exchange. Curtis shuddered. "You know, I think I'm glad things worked out the way they did. Eloise is scarier than you."
Bernard grinned at Curtis. "Yeah…isn't she great?"
"Oh, shut up," Curtis said sourly. "Is there anything else I need to do this year for you?"
"Hm…" Bernard said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. The gold band around his finger reflected the light from the workshop. "Don't let Quentin and Sarah near each other until after Christmas. I'd like for them to not kill each other."
Curtis laughed. Quentin, the sleigh mechanic, and Sarah, the primary caretaker for the reindeer, were always at ends with one another. After Bernard and Eloise had gotten engaged, it was a fantasy of the more hopelessly romantic elves that the pair would end up the same way. "I think that goes without saying." It was Bernard's turn to laugh.
"Indeed it does, Curtis. Indeed, it does." They continued to watch Eloise's tirade with the girl, and Bernard sighed. "I still don't feel right about this…"
"What, you don't think I'll make a good Head Elf?" Curtis joked, knocking Bernard in the ribs.
Bernard chuckled, "No, I'm sure you'll do a good job, you are my successor…It's leaving you all like this that worries me. Eloise is too. I mean, with Carol pregnant and," Bernard looked around for any signs of Santa, not sure if he had been notified by the Council yet, "Jack Frost trying to make his own holiday again…Maybe we should hold the honeymoon off for a year…"
"Santa'll kill you if he hears you saying that," Curtis stated dryly as Eloise yelled at her successor for accidentally breaking off the branches of one Spruce pine that was one of her particular favorites. "You've already been putting this off for a couple years, and you're due for a vacation."
"Yeah, but when we come back…I won't have anything left to do…"Bernard spoke softly, as if afraid to speak any louder. But it was no big secret. Bernard and Eloise were both coming of age to retire from Santa's Workshop, to allow other, younger elves to work with the Spirit of Christmas. The idea scared Bernard. His whole life had been centered on his job…he never thought of what would happen afterwards.
"You and Eloise will figure something out," Curtis said, patting Bernard's arm gently. Curtis was lucky; he still had a couple thousand years left. "You know, Eloise has always wanted to be a party planner…even if she's got the thumb and the ferocity to be a florist." Bernard opened his mouth to reply when Eloise called his name and Curtis' too.
"Bernard~!" she said, stretching his name into three lovely syllables that made his heart pound. "Curtis!" The newly appointed Temporary Head of Decoration followed after her, her hands and pockets stuffed to the brim with Eloise's colored packets. "I'm all set with this one. How about you two?" Bernard nodded as Eloise took his hands in hers. They shared a kiss. Curtis rolled his eyes and the girl made a gagging sound. "Oh, shut up," she said, wrinkling her nose at their immature reactions.
Santa walked out of the workshop with a very pregnant Carol. "Are you two still here?" Santa asked loudly, feigning annoyance with the couple.
"We were just leaving," Bernard said with mock irritably. He and Santa grinned amiably at each other, gripping each other's hands in parting. Eloise and Carol hugged carefully and tearfully bid one another goodbye.
"Oh, can't we stay to help with the baby? Can't we?" she asked anxiously, her hand on Carol's stomach, waiting to see if the baby would move.
"No," Santa said firmly. You've put off your honeymoon long enough, Eloise." Eloise scowled at Santa as she removed her hand, disappointed.
"We'll make sure to send you pictures, okay? Have fun in Acapulco," Carol said kindly, smiling at her. Eloise sighed while Bernard assured Carol that they would most definitely have a good time in Acapulco.
"I guess that will have to do, won't it?" She turned to Santa and offered him a hug. Bernard did likewise to Carol. "We'll come visit when we come back, okay?" She turned to Curtis, hugged him time, and gave him a friendly kiss of the cheek. "Tell Laura and Lucy and Neil and Charlie we said goodbye, and we're sorry we didn't get to see them before we left…" She turned to the girl. "Take care of my trees, and don't mess up my Christmas plans, or I'll kill you," she said, her threat sounding more like a promise. The successor nodded, still looking rather alarmed.
"Now, now, Eloise…" Santa said, laughing nervously. He really hoped Eloise was joking, though something told him she wasn't. "Everything will be fine. Now go!" Eloise and Bernard gave one last round of hugs to their friends as the other elves came out or hung out of windows to watch them leave. Bernard and Eloise grabbed their suitcases and backed away from the crowd. Eloise smiled and waved to the elves watching from the workshop. Bernard scowled.
"Get back to work!" he told them as they disappeared into the snowy night. The elves just laughed.
And...that's it. Seriously, that's all I could think of. I don't want to try and write up this action story that's connected to them secretly helping everyone save Christmas from Jack Frost or something. It's not my style, so I'm not going to butcher up perfectly good characters to something, something, something. I just wanted to give an explanation as to why Bernard wasn't around for the third movie. I might eventually put an aftermath type of story, like what happens when Bernard and Eloise come back and figure out what happens or something. I'm also considering typing up a story as to how she and Bernard met, as well as inserting her into parts of the first two movies. And then there are some other stories that I just want to type up even though they wouldn't be related to anything and would either a. have very heavy references to song lyrics or b. just flat-out be song-fics. Bahaha So, tell me what you think, I guess. Or something. Later days!