Santa Baby 3

“You got a letter from your crush.”Bella rolled her eyes as she took the letter from her assistant. She didn’t bother asking who the letter was from because she was teased about her interest in Rosalie Hale all the time. Bella didn’t mind the jabs as allowing her employees to make comments made her seem more approachable. That was important to Bella because the Santa she replaced was a tyrant who abused his workers to the point of them revolting and killing him and everyone in a leadership position. He had lasted the least amount of time in the Santa role. Bella had lasted the longest going on 4000 years and counting. She doubted that she would ever need to be replaced. She was well liked by the elves and the mortals and constantly received praise from the big boss. That made Bella feel secure enough not to have to worry constantly if she was going to be destroyed.

“I don’t have a crush I just find her interesting.”Bella said.

“You find a lot of people interesting but you don’t go to the extent you do for Rosalie for any of them.”Carol knew that her boss had been crushing on Rosalie since Rosalie was human. Her reaction to learning what Carlisle did giving Carol more than enough proof.

“Rosalie has had a hard life she deserves to be spoiled every once in a while.”Bella was more than happy to be the person who did that spoiling.

“Do you think she believed you when you told her you weren’t spying on her?”Carol had thought Rosalie thinking Bella had been spying on her this whole time was hilarious.

“I hope so. You can imagine my surprise when I walked into her house and caught her drugging the milk. Then seeing all the cameras she set up. I wish I had known a long time ago so I could have put her mind at ease.”Bella had been shocked when she saw Rosalie of all people putting drugs in the milk.

“I didn’t think she had it in to act so drastically.”Carol said.

“Carlisle isn’t going to like his gift next year because it was obviously him who got her the pills. That being the case he should have talked her out it not gone along with her plan. He will be as unhappy as Edward when he opens it.”Bella was going to make sure Carlisle knew she was displeased with him and why.

“Why do you even bother giving Edward a gift?”Carol always wondered why Bella put in the effort.

“Because it hurts his pride more receiving low quality gifts than being completed ignored.”Bella took great pleasure in Edward’s hatred of getting bad gifts.

“I still don’t understand why you let him live.”Carol would have killed Edward for what he did.

“I sought out help through the proper channels and was promised he would get what’s coming to him.”Bella wasn’t allowed to kill. If she did she would be destroyed instantly.

“I’m glad you followed the rules because I like having you as a boss.”Carol loved working for Bella and didn’t want to chance another Santa coming in and being like the former one.

“Well I like existing so it’s easy to follow the rules.”Bella was a by the books Santa. She never strayed from her path and followed the guidelines set out for her.

“So what does your letter say?”Carol asked.

“It’s either going to say she forgives me or it’s going to be a death threat.”Bella muttered before opening the envelope, pulling out the letter and reading it silently to herself.

Santa,

I first would like to thank you for clearing up our misunderstanding. I absolutely believe you when you say that you did not break into my home and violate my privacy. I do however owe you an apology. I don’t know what I was thinking trying to drug you. Actually I wasn’t thinking because if I was I would have realized right away how wrong it was of me to do that. You are completely justified in being disappointed in me. I know that I am disappointed in myself. That being said thank you for only putting me to sleep to teach me a lesson. I can’t imagine what I would have done if someone tried that with me.

I also want to thank you for the necklace. Even after I had done something so disgusting you still went out of your way to fulfill one of my biggest dreams. To have my mind as my own is extraordinary but to be able to drive a convertible with the top down on a sunny day is more than I would even think to ask for. The convertible being something else to thank you for. As a matter of fact I think I owe decades worth of thank yous for all the gifts you have given me. I can tell you put a lot of thought and effort into each one and even though I didn’t admit it before I will now. I loved every single thing you have given me.

On a personal note. I know that you know we are vampires. I have a topic that concerns vampires that I would like to speak to you in person about. It is extremely important and affects you as well. I would tell you about it in this letter but it really is better talked about in person. If you could find some time to meet up let me know. I have added my number at the bottom of the letter.

Thank you again,

Rose

“Well what did she write?”Carol didn’t think it was anything bad based on the bright smile Bella was sporting.

“She told me she believed me and apologized for trying to drug me. She also said that she had something concerning vampires that she wishes to discuss with me in person.”Bella wondered if it was about the necklace.

Carol was thinking the same thing.”Do you think she wants you to make more necklaces?”

“She could but I got a feeling that isn’t it.”Bella thought if Rosalie wanted more necklaces she would have just asked in the letter.

“Are you going to meet her?”Carol had only known Bella to socialize with a few people on a personal level in her long lifetime.

Bella thought about what to do.”You know what I think I will.”

“Do you need me to arrange for a sleigh?”Carol asked.

“I think Rosalie would like Rudolph the best.”Bella told her.

“Based on what I know of Rosalie I think you’re right.”Carol agreed.

“I need to bring her a gift as well.”Bella didn’t want to show up empty handed.

“Romantic gift or a gift a friend would give a friend?”Carol wanted to see if Bella would finally take the step and show her romantic interest in Rosalie.

“I want a bouquet of flowers that mean new love and an expensive box of different flavored chocolates.”Bella thought this would be a nice way to show her interest in Rosalie.

“So you are going to pursue her?”Carol hoped Bella did because she deserved to have someone to share her life with.

Bella nodded.”I think that her reaching out to me after all this time is a sign.”

“I think so too.”Carol said.

“Now I just have to convince Rosalie that I’m worth taking a chance on.”Bella wasn’t sure if Rosalie would even give her a second look.

“Rosalie would be lucky to have you. You are a great catch.”Carol told her.

“You get paid to say that.”Bella joked.

“I get paid to spy on you not flatter you.”Carol’s job was to report back to the big boss everything that Bella did. It was never something that bothered Carol until she got to know Bella better. In her guilt she told Bella her mission only to be surprised when Bella told her she already knew and that it was extremely important that Carol always be truthful when giving her reports so that they could prevent something like the previous Santa’s action from happening again. Knowing that Bella wanted Carol to stop her from ever getting out of control caused Carol to respect Bella even more.

“And you are a great spy at that. Why I got complimented by the big boss on the new Christmas work schedule that I implemented this year. Something I know you told her all about.”Bella didn’t mind that Carol spied on her. With the amount of power she was given it was only right to have someone there to keep her in check.

“It was a good idea and it allowed us to hire more people and keep the elves from being so overworked.”Carol always made sure to make the big boss aware of Bella’s achievements.

“With the population growing so much we are probably going to have to hire more next year.”Bella told her.

“Me and the other elves like having the mortals around. So the more the merrier for us.”Carol said.

“You just like having people to mess with that won’t report you to your superiors in the Holiday Realm.”Bella knew the elves liked the mortals because it gave them a chance to interact with the human realm while not breaking any rules.

“They are so gullible.”Carol loved messing with the mortals.

“Unfortunately the gullible ones quit quickly because they think wrapping presents is an easy job.”Bella used mortals to wrap all the gifts they collected over the year. They usually relied on the elves but Bella was finally able to convince her boss that they needed a larger workforce.

“With the new incentives you offer every year we don’t mind doing the work. As a matter of fact those incentives make us work harder.”Carol was just happy that Bella offered her incentives as well because she wasn’t eligible for any of the ones for the different departments as Bella’s assistant. Not that she minded being Bella’s assistant. She was treated extremely well and Bella never asked her to do anything she wasn’t conformable with. Even with the irregular hours Bella made sure Carol got time off to sleep and spend time with her family.

“I’m somewhat worried about allowing Gerold access to the beach house.”Bella said.

“I am as well but he worked hard all year to get that specific reward. So he earned it.”Carol was predicting that they would have to be doing major repairs to the house after Gerold and his guests were done with it.

“I’m surprised he didn’t pick a week long human disguise.”Bella thought that would be the first prize picked.

“He has always wanted to party on the beach and swim in the ocean. He doesn’t need a disguise to do that at the beach house.”Carol told her.

“Makes sense.”Bella’s beach house was on a private island she bought over a century ago that she originally built a simple hut on so the she had a place to sleep. As the years passed she updated the house so now it was a large mansion that had 12 bedrooms 15 full bathrooms, a movie theatre, arcade, gourmet kitchen, indoor pool and hot tub, pizza oven, professional grill set up to include smokers, a large library and other amenities. Bella spent her free time there because it was away from mortals and a nice place to relax after Christmas season was over before she had to start work again.

“I was planning on asking if you would let me use it in July for my anniversary?”Carol asked.

“Of course you can use it. Especially for such a joyous occasion. How long have you been bonded? 1500 years now.”Bella thought that was how long.

Carol smiled. It was nice that Bella the busiest being in the Holiday Realm minus the big boss remembered how many years Carol had been with her bond mate.”It has. That’s why we wanted to do something special for this anniversary.”

“Am I going to get another godchild out of this trip?”Bella loved children and did all she could to make the lives of the parents on her staff easier. Well she made everyone on her staff’s lives easier but she did things to allow parents to spend more time with their kids. Like adding a daycare on the compound so that both parents could work if they wanted to and could still see their children during the day. Bella also implemented schooling for all elves so they weren’t just used for wrapping presents. Now there were different departments from things like legal to HR. Previous Santa’s had oppressed the elves whereas Bella had raised them up and let them become their own people.

“I don’t know about children. We have discussed it but Helen is thinking about going to school to be a stock broker. That will keep her busy for a while.”Carol wasn’t against having children but wanted her bonded to be able to have the job she wanted so she would wait until they both were ready.

“She would be an amazing stock broker. Her work in the accounting department has saved us a lot of money over the years.”To acquire all the gifts Bella needed to buy they invested in stocks and used the profits from the other holiday figure’s many business to afford them.

“Speaking of the accounting department you got an email from David approving your idea for the fake snow you invented. Marketing also got back to you and said there is a lot of interest from ski resorts to buy the product.”Carol told her.

“I’m hoping that will be a long term business that will rake in a good profit for us.”Bella didn’t have to do anything to make money but always felt that because she spent most of the holiday figure’s income that it was only fair for her to contribute.

“Do you have someone in mind to take charge of the project?”Carol asked.

“I’ve been looking over some performance reviews and done some investigating and I think that I want to give Bertha a chance to lead the project.”Bella said.

“Bertha? She is rather old and hasn’t climbed the ladder very far in all that time.”Carol was surprised by Bella’s pick.

“I think she’s bored with her job. All of her reviews are positive and she could have been promoted many times but she never applies for the job. I also found out that she likes to use her paychecks to buy science books and lab equipment. I think this fake snow business will be something that will bring her a lot of joy and after so many years of great work she deserves it.”Bella thought Bertha would be perfect for the job.

“I’ll set up an appointment for you to have a meeting with her.”Carol pulled out her tablet and made a note to write Bertha an email.

“You do that and make sure you get someone on the flowers and chocolate. I want to stop by Rosalie’s soon but until then I’m going to write some thank you cards.”Bella spent the first few days after Christmas writing thank you cards to the various individuals who send her presents. Which was everyone she knew included most of the elves. Next year Bella was going to have to implement some type of restriction on the elves giving her gifts because she hardly had the room for everything she got.

“I’ll check back in with you at lunch.”Carol knew if she didn’t remind Bella to eat she would just skip meals. Not that it would affect her but Bella enjoyed eating human food. Especially cookies and milk. A rumor she herself put out so that people would leave them out for her on Christmas Eve. It was just a good thing Bella never got full and didn’t gain weight or she would gain a hundred pounds every Christmas.

“What is on the menu at the cafeteria today.”Adding a cafeteria and cooks was another thing Bella implemented so that the elves had cooked meals. It didn’t even matter if they were working or not they could come in on their day off to get breakfast, lunch and dinner. Plus midnight meals for the overnight workers.

“I think it’s chicken parmesan.”Carol told her.

“That sounds delicious. Can you bring me a double portion please?”Bella asked.

Carol chuckled.”Of course boss.”

“Thank you. Now I need to write these thank you notes.”Bella took a seat at her desk, queued up some Christmas music on her stereo, opened up her ink pot and picked up her quill.

“I’ll leave you to it.”Carol said before leaving the room.

Once she was gone and the door was closed Bella pulled out Rosalie’s letter and read it over again. It made her extremely happy that Rosalie believed her. Bella felt so foolish for not realizing that Rosalie would of course think Bella had invaded her privacy. With Rosalie’s history and current living situation that must have made Rosalie feel very unsafe and violated. Bella was just glad everything was cleared up. It did explain why Rosalie stopped writing her letters after she was turned. Bella had thought it was because Rosalie didn’t think she deserved anything but after a few years of Bella giving her gifts Bella had come to understand Rosalie would not be reaching out. All that had changed because of Rosalie drugging a glass of milk. Bella wasn’t pleased that Rosalie would do something so disgusting but understood why. It would be something she would be bringing up to Rosalie when they met. That being something that wouldn’t happen until she finished the thank you notes. Focusing on the pile Bella would hurry along so she could meet up with Rosalie. Just the idea of talking to Rosalie made her smile.