Two Heads Are Better Than One

Two Heads are Better then One
Part 8

The evening Voltaire had walked home with Bernard and a cup of hot chocolate each. Bernard was telling her about all the things that had happened with toy Santa and Curtis during the rest of his day.

"Well I personally don't ever want to have to see toy Santa again," said Voltaire as they reached their apartments.

"Image still fresh in your mind?" he asked her.

"Yep," Voltaire nodded. That's when her apartment door flew open and they stared as her mum stood there.

"Well don't stand there all day, come in," she said. She went into the hallway and pushed the two elves into Voltaire's apartment.

"Mum, Bernard needs to go home and get some sleep, I need sleep too!" protested Voltaire as he mum pushed them down on the couch and she sat down in the recliner.

"I just want to talk to you two. It has been so long. How was work?" she asked. Bernard stared at Voltaire with a questioning face before turning towards her mum.

"It was busy, for all of us," he said with a polite tone.

"Well hopefully it will be calmer tomorrow," her mum said smiling at the two.

"Doubtful," replied Voltaire.

"Well I did some ask around today and I hear you two are practically inseparable. Is there something that you didn't tell your mum, Voltaire?" she asked in an accusing voice.

"For the last time, no we are not dating. Why can't I have a close friend that is a guy, no sexual feeling attached hmm?" said Voltaire finally cracking. Bernard turned a little red when she mentioned sexual feelings, her mum noticed.

"Well then why were you over at his apartment this morning?" she asked.

"Because you used up all the hot water in the shower. Mum, really can we just get some sleep. Tomorrow and the rest of this holiday season is going to be really busy for us," said Voltaire.

"All right sweetie. You know I am worried that you'll work yourself silly, but at least you have a close friend. I just wanted to spend a little bit of time with you two before I leave tomorrow. Your father called and says he gets and early vacation this year," she said.

"I'm sorry I blew up at you. It really has been great seeing you mum," said Voltaire after she calmed down some bit.

"You should visit again and hopefully by then we can spend more time together," said Bernard. Her mum smiled at him.

"Thank you, you are quite the gentlemen. Well I'll let you two get some sleep," she said. Voltaire walked Bernard to the door and he left. Voltaire went into her bedroom before walking out and going to the front door.

"Where are you going young lady?" her mum asked.

"I left my pyjamas at Bernard's," Voltaire grumbled before leaving the apartment. Her mum laughed a bit and sipped on her tea. Yes she had walked around that day and happened to run into a certain legendary figure whose holiday was celebrated in the middle of February. No doubt she would be seeing her daughter and Bernard soon.

Things were definitely getting stranger and more hectic around the workshop. One morning Voltaire entered the kitchen to see toy Santa eating a bowl of waxed fruit. She immediately went and got Bernard, who came and took Santa out of the kitchen and gave Voltaire a look that just screamed 'help me'. She shook her head and patted Bernard on the shoulder.

"That thing is just too creepy," said Voltaire as she and Bernard were walking home.

"It is taking up too much of my time. This is just plain hot chocolate," said Bernard looking down at his cup of hot chocolate.

"Yes, I haven't had time to make any new flavours, and Santa keeps drinking all my other ones. Do you know how much hot chocolate he had before we left today?" asked Voltaire getting slightly angry.

"I am going to guess a large amount," said Bernard shaking his head and taking another sip of his hot chocolate.

"Three gallons! Three! I don't even want to know where he puts it all, he's a toy! You better keep Curtis away from me, because I'm going to kill him the next time I see him! Starting tomorrow there are only four days till Christmas and it seems that Santa, the real one, is no where near close to finding a wife. We're screwed," said Voltaire finally letting loose all that she had kept pent up. Bernard just put an arm around her shoulder and sighed.

"I feel the same way. But we can't lose hope, the real Santa was counting us to keep things going up here," said Bernard.

"I just feel more stressed this holiday season then I ever have. I just need to get this all over with," said Voltaire as she wrapped her arm around Bernard's waist and put her head down.

"Hey, calm down," said Bernard as he stopped and put his hands on her shoulders and faced her, "just take a deep breath and relax. You're going to get a good night's sleep and tomorrow everything will be much better. I'll keep toy Santa and Curtis away form the kitchen, and I'll help you make a lot of hot chocolate in the morning." Voltaire just nodded and sighed. Bernard sighed after her and they walked up to their apartment building.

"Thanks Bernard, I'll see you tomorrow," she said. Bernard just hugged her and she gave a weak smile to him.

"Go get some sleep, you'll need it," he said and they parted and went into their apartments.

The next day, though was when all the horrors any elf could possibly think of happened. That morning Bernard and Voltaire just completely forgot about all the problems and together made gallons and gallons of hot chocolate. Soon Curtis came in to get some cookies but Bernard hurriedly pushed him out of the kitchen when Voltaire saw number two and she was left to finish making the hot chocolate.

She left the kitchen at one time to go find Bernard to ask him how things were going when she saw toy Santa standing on the balcony overlooking the workshop wearing a military uniform. He had stopped the workshop progress by turning the power off and everyone was staring at him.

"Merry Christmas. That's nice. I have an announcement to make, from this moment on, we aren't going to make anymore toys," he declared. Voltaire was shocked and immediately walked over to where Bernard was.

"What's going on?" she whispered.

"I don't know," he replied back and they turned their attention to toy Santa.

"Children of the world don’t deserve these presents. They're running rampant with naughtiness. So for this Christmas, we're going to give them exactly what they deserve," he said and reached over to a bag next to him and pulled out a black lump, "a beautiful, high-quality, yet low sulfur variety of coal." The elves were shocked. "Quiet! We have to focus, all of us, on the goals ahead. And just to make sure that happens. I-I hate to blow my own horn," he said and blew a fog horn. Then out came marching toy soldiers, all tall and ugly. Voltaire and Bernard were trying to calm all the elves as toy Santa was saying more. The toys were taking over Christmas.

"Bernard do something," said Voltaire and she stood in front of some of her chefs.

"Don't listen to him. This guy is not Santa!" yelled Bernard. The elves were now even more shocked.

"He's a toy!" yelled Voltaire now joining Bernard side and helping to explain.

"He has a rubbed face and plastic tushy!" Bernard yelled again. Toy Santa made a movement and toy soldiers moved over to them.

"Trust us! He's a fake!" yelled Voltaire as the toy soldiers began to take Bernard and her away.

"Don't let him ruin Christmas!" was the last thing Bernard got in before they were taken out of the workshop. They were led to their apartment building and shoved into Bernard's apartment. Voltaire ran to the door to try and get out but it was locked and the doorknob wouldn't budge.

"So much for things will be better today," said Voltaire as she sat down on the couch and put her head in her hands.

"That was the last time I will ever let Curtis do anything. His idea led us to being in house arrest!" said Bernard and he sat down on the couch next to Voltaire.

"Wait a minute, Bernard," said Voltaire picking her head up and putting a hand on Bernard's knee to get his attention.

"What is it?" he asked turning to her.

"Didn't Curtis say that he put memory of the real Santa into the toy. So they have similar thoughts and actions. That must mean that the real Santa has secretly had this way of thinking in the back of his mind," said Voltaire turning to face him.

"But the real Santa would never do this!" defended Bernard.

"I know, but I just wish there was more that we knew about Santa, it might save us," said Voltaire leaning back into the couch and sighing.

"Let's just hope that the real Santa never had perverted thoughts," said Bernard trying to make a joke but a shudder went through Voltaire when he said that.

"Why do I feel an ominous feeling?" asked Voltaire turning to look over at Bernard, who had a look of horror on his face.