Winter Dream (Bernard the Elf x Reader)

Chapter 39- Red Regret

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As Scott walked through the front gates of the North Pole Resort, he gasped in horror at the scene. His former home was now a shadow of what it once was. Loud music trying to sell merchandise blasted through the loudspeakers as depressed-looking elves walked around, often getting bombarded by guests who wanted pictures and videos. Long lines for tickets to Santa's show, the reindeer petting zoo, and even a "build your own toy" kiosk stretched as far as the eye could see, each one packed with screaming children, and fighting parents.

As Scott looked around, he quickly realized that this wasn't the North Pole he left behind anymore. It was worse than anything he could have possibly imagined. Suddenly, he noticed two familiar faces in the crowd.

"Hurry up, Dad, let's go! Come on, I want a ride!"

"Lucy! Neal!!" Scott happily exclaimed, dashing over to the two of them.

"Scott Calvin..." A look of bewilderment spread across Neal's features. "Odd place to run into you."

Scott bent down and smiled at Lucy, waiting for one of her signature hugs. "Luce?"

"What's up, Mr. Calvin?" She coldly spoke, before turning back to her Dad. "Can we please go?"

She began leading him away, and Scott quickly stopped them. "Wait, wait, wait. What happened between you and Laura?"

"Scott, I know you think therapy is like witchcraft, but you of all people might consider it," Neal commented.

Scott looked at Neal, a friend in another timeline, but just a mere acquaintance in this one. "Please, please, just tell me."

"Maybe you don't really know because you were never around." Neal sighed. "It shouldn't be any news to you, Scott. You were never a father to Charlie or even (Yn). You put all the pressure on me, and guess what? They didn't want me as their father...which messed things up pretty good between me and Laura." He sent him a glare colder than anything Jack Frost was capable of creating. "Want me to go on, Scott?

"Come on, Dad, the line's getting longer!" Lucy whined, dragging him away.

As Scott pondered Neal's words, another familiar voice interrupted his thoughts. "Excuse me, sir."

Scott beamed. "Curtis!"

"Yes, sir." Curtis held up a couple of tickets. "Can I offer you two tickets for a turn to build a toy with Santa's elves? Plus, I'll throw in this year's commemorative pen, which is voice-enhanced. Will that be cash or credit card, sir?" He asked, pressing a button on top of the pen. He pressed the button a second time and it repeated, "Will that be cash or credit card, sir?"

"That's silly." Scott scoffed.

Curtis ignored Scott's comment and continued his sales pitch. "And if you're still not sure, I'll throw in a pass for the nice list."

"The nice list?"

"Walk with me, won't you?" Curtis spoke, guiding Scott towards the nice list kiosk.

"Curtis, it's me!" Scott pleaded. "Oh, for the love of candy canes, what have you done here?" He asked, gesturing to the nice list kiosk.

"Well, sir, this is a nice list kiosk," Curtis replied. "The line ends over there by the reindeer petting zoo."

Scott stared at him with a shocked face. "You mean parents pay to have their kids put on the nice list? That's not right." He glanced around. "Where's Bernard? He never would've allowed this to happen."