Two Heads Are Better Than One

Two Heads are Better then One
Part 14

A/N: No longer alternate reality. Scott is once again Santa!

That dreaded alarm went off and Voltaire woke up to her headed pounding, her nose stuff up, and her lungs on fire. Yes, elves can get sick but usually that is rare. It only happens when you are stressed, overworked, and were in the cold for a while; which Voltaire was. She knew she should take the day off but it was Christmas eve. The big day. She had to be there, right?

"Voltaire are you feeling all right?" asked Charlie as he came in the kitchen. He and all the Legendary Figures were here helping Santa finish his quota.

"She has a cold but being as stubborn as she is she has refused to go home," said Mother Nature as she walked out from a cabinet with a broom.

"Seriously Voltaire, go home, there are more then enough elves to clean up," said Charlie.

"If there are enough elves then why are the Legendary Figures here working?" asked Voltaire taking a break from cleaning the counter and putting her hands on her hips.

"Because, they… they were checking up on Jack?" tried Charlie. Mother Nature just shook her head and Voltaire went back to work.

"Fine but if you pass out I'm not carrying you home," said Charlie and he left. Voltaire shook her head and Mother Nature continued on sweeping.

Voltaire was alone in the kitchen cleaning it up. She had not seen Jack all day, which only worried her. It would soon be time for Santa to depart and Voltaire would go home and spend her Christmas night alone. Her head shot up. She had never been alone on Christmas, ever. Before she came to the Pole she had her family, and then she had Bernard. Sick and alone on Christmas.

"Isn't that depressing," Voltaire muttered to herself as she put some dishes away. She sighed a looked around the kitchen. It was spotless, she did a good job. All the elves, except for the heads, were requested to go help finish toys so she was left with cleaning up. She sighed and began to take her apron off, luckily she got to wear her normal clothes because they told the in-laws everything. As she was doing that Jack walked in, well someone who looked a lot like Jack, just brighter.

"Voltaire, how are you this Christmas?" he asked as he gave her a big hug.

"Jack, have you been defrosted?" asked Voltaire as Jack squeezed the life out of her.

"And I must say, I apologize. I have been doing some very evil things against you and that Bernard fellow. But no time explaining now, there is a baby being delivered," he said and pushed her toward the door.

"Jack what do you mean evil things against us?" asked Voltaire trying to not fall over from him pulling her to the delivery room.

"Hurry, or you'll miss the wonder of life!" he exclaimed and soon he shoved her into the delivery room and shut the door.

"Oh, Voltaire, come here," said Mrs. Claus with her hand out stretched. Her mum was behind her and Santa was holding her other hand. Voltaire walked over and grabbed her hand.

"Okay, I'm going to need you to push on one. Three, two, one!" said Dr. Histmas. Mrs. Claus squeezed her hands, making Voltaire and Santa wince, and soon the cries of a baby echoed through the room.

"Oh thank god," said Mrs. Claus leaning back and letting go of Voltaire's and Santa's hands. Voltaire grabbed her hand and looked at its redness.

"It's a boy!" said Dr. Histmas as he handed the baby to a nurse who had a blanket ready to wrap him in and clean him off.

"I think I know just what to name him," sad Santa.

"You do?" asked Mrs. Claus.

"After his grandfather," said Santa. Mrs. Claus' mum smiled at that.

"I'll leave you all, but first I want to look at your hands, " said the doctor pointing to Voltaire and Santa. They walked to a separate room and the doctor bandaged Santa's hand first.

"Congratulations Santa," said Voltaire smiling at him.

"Thank you, Voltaire," said Santa smiling back at her.

"Santa, your wife is right handed I presume, yes?" asked the doctor as he looked at Voltaire's hand.

"Yes, why?" asked Santa confused.

"Because Voltaire's hand it much worse then yours," he said and bandaged Voltaire's hand gently, "also it seems you have a cold, Voltaire."

"I know," she sighed.

"You do? Why did you come to work still? That seems like something only Bernard would do," said Santa.

"Well you were behind and had to bring in your son and the Legendary Figures to help get done in time," said Voltaire and her smiled dropped at the mention of Bernard, it reminded her she was going to be alone. Santa noticed.

"He hasn't called you has he?" he asked as they walked back to the delivery room with the doctor.

"No, and I only hope it's because he is busy and will be home real soon," said Voltaire.

"You should go be with your wife, Santa. You, Voltaire, are going home and resting, we'll send someone later to go and check on you," said the doctor. Voltaire nodded and left for home.

"And I know just who to send," said Santa. The doctor looked at him skeptically then just ignored it and they re-entered the delivery room.

Voltaire grabbed something to eat and dressed in her warm pyjamas. She was careful not to use her left hand too much as she went about her house. She was exhausted from the day, and soon heard sleigh bells off in the distance. There was a knock on her door and Mother Nature walked in.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Fine, thank you. I assume you're the person they sent to check up on me?" asked Voltaire.

"Nope, just came to tell you when you wake you'll have a special Christmas present from the Council waiting for you, but you can only get it if you go to sleep. Santa's rules," said Mother Nature with a big smile on her face.

"You're hiding something from me," said Voltaire as she got up and eyed Mother Nature.

"Well usually that's what you do with presents. Just go and sleep and everything will make sense when you wake up," and with that Mother Nature left. Voltaire, still confused, shook her head and went to sleep.

"-taire. Voltaire, wake up."

"Hmm," grumbled Voltaire as she turned over and put her back to whoever was trying to wake her.

"Come on, get up," said the person. Voltaire just coughed and opened her eyes and looked at her clock. She only got a half an hour of sleep.

"I'm suppose to be sleeping doctor's orders," whined Voltaire as she turned on her back, eyes now closed.

"Then you won't get your present," said the person. She was having a hard time placing that voice with a face. She knew it was familiar but her cold was making her brain cloud up.

"Mother Nature said I would get it if I slept," Voltaire replied covering her eyes with her right hand.

"But it's tradition to spend Christmas night with me."

Now she knew who it was. He eyes shot open and she removed her hand and looked and there was Bernard sitting at the edge of her bed.

"Bernard?" she asked confused, "what happened to the special job?"

"The person's magic disappeared and the council called me back saying everything was fine now," he said as he took her hands and then looked at her left one that was still bandaged and slightly swollen now.

"So who was the person?" asked Voltaire sitting up.

"Jack."

"What was he doing, besides the usual?"

"I was just told of it all. He was interfering in the love life of two elves, making it so they would never be together."

"That doesn’t sound like Jack. Why would he care about the love life of elves? Anyway they said it was personal to you, must mean it was two elves at the workshop or something, right?"

"I don't know. That was all the Council was talking about."

"Oh well, I guess that would explain why you're back though. Jack was defrosted, if you will."

"Never thought I'd see the day. And Mrs. Claus had her baby I hear."

"Yep," said Voltaire and she held up her left hand. Bernard just smiled and shook his head.

"Still up for the gift exchange?" he asked.

"Oh, well. I sort of, didn't get you anything. Sorry, but with all the madness around the workshop and you being gone and I got sick-"

"Wait you're sick?" Bernard interrupted her rant and put a hand to her forehead, "Oh, Voltaire, you're burning up. I thought when you said, 'doctor's orders' it was because you worked to much. You really should be resting, here lay down." He moved aside and pushed her down and covered her up with the blankets till they came to her chin.

"Bernard, really I'm fine," she said.

"No you are not," he stated, "I'm going to go make you something warm to eat."

"Bernard, when I say I'm fine, I'm fine," she said as she grabbed his arm and stopped him from leaving the room.

"All right, but I'm staying here, tonight," he said and sat down next to Voltaire on the bed.

"Suit yourself, just don't fuss over me. You probably need rest too, after all that traveling," said Voltaire and she looked over at him. She just smiled and shook her head. Sitting up she gently moved Bernard so he was laying down and carefully pulled her covers over him, trying not to wake him. Voltaire turned the light off and laid back down and went to sleep. She wasn't alone on Christmas after all.