Who Shot Father Christmas?

It was a shame that while talented with any form of plant life he appeared to lack a single ounce of the White Christmas touch that the world had so come to expect from their Father Christmas.

***

Bella Claus tunefully whistled a jolly upbeat carol to herself as she waved away the multi-trailered Postal Service truck carrying off the pre-sorted mail to the main state forwarding depot. The driver blasted his departure on the truck's sonorous bespoke horn as he pulled onto the highway with a thick plume of blue exhaust smoke emitting from the pipe above and just behind the driver's cab.

Knowing that her highly efficient second-in-command Mickey Klass was still hard at work in the office handling the fresh pile of mail and parcels that the departing truck had dropped off, before reloading with the mail going the other way for delivery the next morning, Bella was able to leave work early tonight in order to collect her father from the City airport.

Her delight in a job well-done and the warm feeling she felt for a friend she had every trust in evaporated somewhat, worrying about the reasons behind her next task. She hadn't even been aware that Father had left yesterday for Florida until her tearful Mother mentioned it at breakfast this morning. Clearly there was some family drama taking place that was deeply upsetting to her mother but it was obviously not considered serious enough to justify bringing her mother's sheltered only daughter within the circle of trusted informants. Bella was as usual content to leave such issues with her parents, knowing that they would keep her abreast of any issues that affected her directly or where she could help, but her confidence in her parents didn't belay all her fears. Bella suspected that there may be concerns with Nicky's preparations for the coming Christmas Eve run.

She had tried her best to keep out of direct involvement with the Christmas arrangements this year, but it was very difficult for her to resist interfering. Bella cared so much for her brother even though she was barred from demonstrating to Nicky the full extent of her feelings for him which had threatened to overwhelm her during their close association last Christmas. Over the past eleven or so months she had forced herself not to call her brother at all, not once, and restrict any contacts with him during his regular visits to see their parents in the intervening period to a bare minimum, sufficient only to ensure that Mummy and Daddy could not unduly draw inference to any unseemly or embarrassing abnormality in the relationship between the siblings. It was fortunate that Nicky too, had respected the awkwardness of their emotional relationship by similarly avoiding her at every turn. She was glad that they had never since that magical Christmas Eve night spent any time alone together ... despite the heartache that she had suffered ... was still suffering.

Not quite able to divorce herself from the family business entirely though, Bella had earlier today put out feelers with her old elfish contacts back at the workshop and the feedback had not been too promising. Bella had done a little bit of prodding and given some guiding advice from distance but she was limited in what she could do, based as she was in distant sunny California. But she had grown up with these same elves and knew which buttons she could press to re-motivate them. She had managed to get some toy production efforts shifted towards producing a simpler range of toys, which Bella thought should help completion to target. Only at lunchtime today she had sorted out the troublesome Tinsel Team who had gotten themselves into a terrible tangle, again. Elves, honestly, they can be so bothersome she thought, hence that expression of frustration that her father often used to exclaim, "elves bells!"

As she drove towards the Arrivals hall of the city commercial airport, she couldn't help her thoughts going out to Nicky yet again. Bella was certain that she loved him far more dearly and deeply than was even remotely appropriate between sister and brother and even more sure that she would love him only of all the men in the world. There was no room in her heart for another ... she had to admit the taboo word ... lover. Of course it was a forbidden love she felt so strongly about, Nicky was her elder brother for crying out loud! These things were not supposed to happen between emotionally attached couples who shared the same mother and father. She really didn't need this complication in her life. Bella knew that she would always have to exclude Nicky from those compulsive emotions that threatened to both engulf them and destroy her own happiness forever.

Bella had dated other eligible men since leaving the North Pole, of course she had, but lately she found that her heart was no longer in the worthless exercise. She had discovered the process of courting other eligible men was utterly pointless. When she first moved in with Mummy and Daddy back in January she was re-introduced to the handsome Mickey Klass. She had forgotten that she had thought he was cute a decade earlier and had had her first crush on a boy she was too shy to even speak to at the time. He was literally the boy next door, who lived within and worked the lamps atop the St Nicholas Lighthouse. That he was perfectly handsome wasn't at all in doubt, he was tall, well-built, blond and blue-eyed, with a cute and charming smile. When she first set eyes on him her heart quickly missed a beat. Mickey could easily have been the twin brother of her unrequited lover, Nicky, other than he lacked her own brother's adorable cleft chin. By coincidence, the two men even shared the same birthday!

Bella had been so excited when Mickey asked her out for a meal first and dancing afterwards so soon after she arrived last December just before New Year. He was neither too forward or pushy, he had actually waited until they were on their own before asking her out so she felt she would be comfortably in a position to turn him down or accept without any outside pressures. She decided to accept and he appeared grateful and somewhat relieved. There was clearly some attraction between these two beautiful young people right from the outset.

They had wined and dined and merrily danced the night away. They had held each other lightly where the pace of the dance allowed, both of them equally shy and awkward at the countdown to the new year, and kissed briefly at that point, without raising any emotions that would cause concerns or possible embarrassing physical reactions. No, she thought, he was the perfect first date. He was bright and witty, funny and gentlemanly. He danced extremely well without attempting to maul her during the slow numbers and was utterly charming and amusing when indulging in conversations between dances. He appeared to be the perfect potential boyfriend and, while he appeared to be interested in her, she had to admit that she fancied him madly too, during that first evening. She saw this as a perfect opportunity to bury any feelings she had for Nicky once and for all and replace them with a new passion for Mickey Klass.

In the wee small hours of the morning of the new year they returned from the night club and her deliciously weary body was electrified with anticipation as her handsome beau enveloped her in a warm and passionate embrace, his strong muscular arms holding her willingly helpless body firmly against his rippling torso and kissed her long and deeply on her expectant lips...

And the result was nothing, it was like Bella had been kissing a sister or a distantly-related seldom-seen auntie or even a preoccupied virgin nun who just happened to be passing by. There was no passion or magic on either side for the two young beautiful people. The degree of disappointment for both was so evident it was palpable.

Bella had later dated a few other young men in the small coastal city, including the occasional summer season visitor but nothing long-term materialised that could come anywhere close to matching the torch that burned within her so fiercely for her one and only Nicky and so she had at last resigned herself to a life of unfulfilled spinsterhood. No, the very idea of incest in Santa's family was simply inconceivable to Bella, she would have to survive without love as best she could.

As a distraction to the heart-aching obsession that was her beloved brother she threw herself wholesale into her work. Joining the local postal service was a natural environment for her logistical experience and expertise, not that she was able to add such information to her barely populated resumé. She picked up the work immediately however and she rocketed to the top of her profession in the local area and was already managing the city post office before the summer was out.

***

Santa's secretariat hadn't seen anything like it before. There was no precedent that they were aware of. Apparently they noticed that Manfredo Bertoni's name had mysteriously disappeared from the top of the Naughty List and one of Manny's old letters to Santa burned in his fireside grate way back in 1983 similarly materialised at the top of the pile in Santa's secretary's office. The elves decided not to say anything about either curious phenomenon to Father Christmas, young Nicky looked as though he had more than enough on his plate and it clearly wasn't roast turkey, stuffing and chipolata sausages.

One thing was clear, with young master Santa's spring and summer efforts in the orchard, there'd be no shortage of chestnut stuffing this year.

***

Nursing Auxiliary Betty Kowalski was suddenly very excited this evening, when all day she had been a little sad and feeling low up to when she left the little tenement apartment she shared with her husband Stanley. She had just driven into work to start her night shift and at her workstation in the hospital auxiliary area there were some "congratulations" balloons and a number of pastel-coloured card envelopes left for her to open on her arrival. This was the start of the thirty-second year since she had worked in the hospital and she was due to retire in just a couple of weeks, having been asked to extend until Christmas Day, to give younger staff a chance to spend some of the festive time with their families. Although Betty and her husband Stanley had tried everything they could for a child in the early years of their marriage, she had failed to be blessed with motherhood. So she felt more than willing to cover for those staff who desired that magical day off to spend with their dear children.

Betty cast her mind back to when she first started at the local St Nicholas City Hospital, as a rather immature and scatty single girl Bettina Suarez. It was all so different back then, quite casual compared to the litigation-obsessed environment which pervaded every task they did nowadays. Betty had started working in the maternity unit at first, but had soon been forced to move onto the geriatric ward because of a few administration problems, none of which were her fault, naturally. Betty couldn't have had much schooling, as she hadn't attended any lessons at all in her native Mexico and after the family quietly crossed the border under cover of a moonless night they had been forced to keep a low profile for a couple of years, what Betty's father called 'under the radar', which meant even more schooling missed. So Betty had always found joined-up doctors' writing almost impossible to read.

Anyway, that particular mix-up which necessitated her move from Maternity was soon spotted, the Carlow kid had a strawberry birthmark on his left ass cheek the size of a silver dollar while the Barlow girl's ass was as pure as the driven snow. No harm done, so no foul, huh? Betty was still angry that she had been moved on so swiftly to geriatrics. Everyone is entitled to make one silly little mistake, surely?

She missed those babies she had to admit, especially as she had never been blessed with motherhood herself. It had been a constant delight to her to sweep those sweet infants up two or three at a time to give them the cuddles they deserved while their mothers slept and recuperated. She couldn't pick up the geriatrics and cuddle them in the same way. Still, at least she thought that each individual in the old folks' ward was such great fun, while they lasted, anyway.

Betty was very sad now that her time at the hospital was rapidly coming to a close and soon she'd only have Stan to look after, God bless him, but she was buoyed up by today's cheerful cards and balloons from her grateful and ever-loving colleagues.

***

Mary Christmas aka Claus was still feeling more than a little weepy at what was happening to her family. Mary busied herself in the kitchen of her home, making a rather unnecessary batch of figgy pudding, just to keep herself occupied, but it wasn't really working.

Mary had devoted her whole life to the care and proper upbringing of her two children. She had just accepted her husband's arguments about what was to happen to her only son but that didn't mean her emotions weren't all over the place as a result. Tradition was everything to the family, there had to be family continuity for the magic to continue, there was no other way. The Spirit of Christmas was more important than any one individual and that meant a mother's feelings were secondary, too.

Mary knew when Nick asked her to marry him all those long happy years ago the responsibility she was taking on. Mary had even accompanied her husband on those magical Christmas Eve runs in those early years of the marriage, even while she was carrying her babies. She knew from the outset that this wasn't just a job that you could do nine to five and forget about it. It wasn't even just a job for life, it was life itself that mattered to every elf and every child in the world. It couldn't be allowed to fade and die without some sacrifice on the part of those who were intimately involved. So Mary was sad about the remedy but determinedly prepared to pay the ultimate sacrifice of giving up her only begotten son.

Of course Mary had always known that Nicky had hated the North Pole and everything to do with it. He just never accepted his responsibilities, even from an early age when he did try, and to be honest Nick and Mary had ignored his protests thinking that it was normal juvenile reluctance to grow up and take on the responsibility that comes with becoming an adult. Mary and Nick had both firmly believed that once Nicky stopped fannying about and took over the role he was born for, that the Magic of Christmas would naturally take over and the tradition would smoothly continue as it always had before, like it had been for Nick when he took over from Nicky's grandfather. But it looked like the tradition never would continue, without some drastic action. Mary had accepted long ago that she was far too old to have another child and Nick was now too ancient, worn out and settled into his - their - deserved retirement to go back and take over the monumental task of being Father Christmas all over again.

At least, Mary comforted herself, trying hard to find any crumb of comfort from the unthinkable, it looked as though Bella would make a great first-ever female "Father" Christmas. She was clearly born for the role, just looking at the way she had the St Nicholas Post Office running demonstrated that she had the makings to take over and run the North Pole operation and deliver Christmas successfully for many years to come.

Mary sadly knew that her daughter's heart would break just as hard as Mary's own one would. Mary hoped that losing Nicky wouldn't destroy Bella's emotional spirit forever because she needed to find someone to love in order to continue the long line of Father Christmases.

Nicky and Bella may have thought that they had kept their feelings for one another well hidden from everyone else, but a mother knows ... yes, a mother always knows.

***

Bella drew up in front of the City Airport Arrivals short-term parking area and saw her father waiting patiently for her. Even with the crowd of travellers milling around, her father stuck out from the rest like a sore thumb. He was so wide he looked like he must have flown in on an Army tank transporter not a commercial airliner. She greeted him with a kiss on his rosy cheek, took his light overnight bag from him and stowed it in the trunk. As for transporting Father Christmas by car, it never ceased to amaze Bella every time, how he managed to get in and out of her tiny car without damage to himself or the vehicle.

Daddy actually appeared to be in a cheerful chatty mood as if a weight had been lifted from his broad shoulders. Bella hoped that whatever was troubling her mother had reached some level of resolvement. He mentioned to his daughter how cold and wet it was in Florida compared to California, but said little else about the trip and nothing at all regarding the purpose of his sudden and swift journey.

Bella noticed when she got home that her mother appeared still to be somewhat red-eyed, but the loving way her parents greeted each other after their rare and brief absence from each other at least gave Bella some reassurance that the problem wasn't between her parents but still gave her no clue as to its origins or whether the solution had been put in place or not.

One thing it cannot be, Bella reasoned reassuringly, the problems with the North Pole operation had absolutely nothing at all to do with the Florida trip.

***

Mickey Klass had seen Bella drive off towards the airport. Bella was his boss, albeit very temporary, and he was already full of admiration for her. She was an absolute marvel at running the post office. Mickey was grateful that she had trusted his abilities enough to have given him the opportunity this afternoon to manage this place on his own, especially as he had only worked there as a temp for the last couple of weeks, although he had filled in regularly for a few weeks every Christmas for Bella's rather pompous predecessor who had always treated Mickey as an idiot. Under Bella's light guiding hand, however, he was amazed that he had taken to the job like a duck to water. He was beginning to wish he had tried for a career in logistics long ago.

Although he had proved many months ago that there was no physical attraction towards Bella, he still felt a great deal of affection for her. She was a wonderful person as well as beautiful and he knew he would do anything for her, even knowing that she also felt nothing for him other than platonic friendship. He sensed that there was some deep down sadness invested in Bella but try as he might he couldn't break the stranglehold which whatever was bothering her held her so tightly in its icy grip. Mickey was still somewhat mystified why they could not develop their relationship further. He thought she was very attractive, with a wonderful sense of humour and wanted to get as much fun as possible out of life. They enjoyed working together, sharing an almost telepathic understanding of what was needed to run the post office like the well-oiled machine it had become. At the same time, although naturally modest, he knew he wasn't that hideously unattractive himself, so why was it that they couldn't develop between them something more meaningful through to its logical conclusion? It was a mystery to him. It looked like he would have to keep looking for that one woman who would fill his life and give it the purpose he so desired, even though he couldn't quite figure out what that purpose was.

Relationships, he thought despairingly, they are so difficult to understand. Even his own family didn't get on well with him and they had become strained over the last few years. He couldn't help it, he felt it wasn't his fault that he was unable to work on Pop's farm. He knew why his father was so disappointed in him. It was natural for Pop to want him to take over the operation so that eventually Pop could enjoy his retirement but Mickey found that he was ill-equipped to step up to the plate for him. Mickey could barely remember his Mom, she passed when he was only a baby and his father had brought him up alone. For some reason that was difficult to discuss with Pop, he never had a step-mom to fill that huge void in his life. Mickey felt that, by holding out a candle to his dead wife his father also missed having another partner in his life.