Trixie smudged her pale face close up to her bedazzled pink and green computer. Her lavender gold wings swayed back and forth rapidly as she flew back and forth awaiting the group to join the call. 

“Hellooooooooo,’ Trixie spoke to herself in a humming tone. “Are any of your wonderful souls out there? Hehe, It’s been so lonely!” Trixie’s high pitch voice that could crack a glass yet soothe a baby spoke.

Santa joined the zoom call

“Yay Santa! You look splendid, I love your floppy hat, so festive!” Trixie said.

Santa smiled and let his pearly white teeth shine into his old dell computer camera. I mean Santa would have a bulky laptop computer, if he didn’t then things just wouldn't sit right with me. 

Lucky the Leprechaun joined the zoom call

Only the top of Lucky’s tall black top hat filled his zoom cube until he hoisted his 4 foot frame onto his stool. He made himself comfortable as he shoved a handful of rainbow Lucky Charms into his mouth and let the crumbs reside in his fluffy ginger beard.  

Trixie floated in front of her camera, eyes widened staring at each member in the call. “You guys are coming in so fast! This is fancating!’ Trixie said with a subtle giggle. 

Egert the Easter bunny joined the zoom call

“Oh Claus, you’re on mute we can’t hear you,” Lucky the leprechaun explained. 

Santa continued speaking despite being on mute.

“We still can't- ” Egert the Easter bunny tried to say before he was cut off.

“HO, HO HO, it’s me, Santa. I guess I really am old. I don’t understand this whole technology thing. Well anyways, I’m so glad that you all were able to make this meeting. I want to start it off by asking how you all are doing. For me, Mrs.Claus has been stress baking cookies and I have been stress eating them. I don’t know how I’ll be able to deliver my presents or even coordinate the elves in a safe way. Enough about me. Trixie how have you been?”

Trixie puffed her cheeks and pursed her pale orange lips anxiously awaiting for her turn to speak. “Well, it’s not like I had anything else to do! I tried to go on my night shift to pick up some teeth but every window and door was locked! Soon enough my whole house is going to crumble because we won’t be able to keep the walls up with fresh teeth. Egert, Easter seemed to work out okay, right? And oh hehe you look like you are on vacation, that beach is beautiful!”

“Oh haha, Trixie don’t be so silly, it’s just a virtual background. But anyways, yes Easter happened, but no, I wouldn't call it a success. I tried to give out as many Easter baskets as I could, but I couldn’t get to every house. I guess I just have to wait until next year so until then I’ll have to sit here in the meadow counting daisies. ” 

“Hey don’t put yourself down like that.” Santa said as he pointed his pasty wrinkled hand to the camera. “I don't think you will be in your meadow for that long. Here is the thing: Christmas is coming up and I don’t know how I am going to do it alone. But this mission won’t be an easy task. I collected you all here because I believe you are top-notch and will be able to save Christmas with me. Are you jolly fellas in?”

“I sure am lucky! Santa Claus asking for my help? Of course, I’m in!” Lucky said.

“This sounds splendid! Yes!” Trixie softly spoke.

“Anything for you Claus,” Egert said.

The human world was still quiet. They all stayed inside eating their greasy kettle chips and new fudge brownie M&Ms while they watched every show on Netflix (including some show about tigers and a king). Normally in December Santa’s spirit meter was bursting, but this year it was low. All the Christmas carolers were stuck inside, people tossed in pain after downing Clorox bleach from the president's orders, not everyone was able to buy a Christmas tree, and Dr. Fauci (the only person that gave the humans some sort of hope) was fired for being too passionate about safety. 

The best time of the year, the most beautiful time of the year, was fast approaching. Egert, Trixie, and Lucky all moved from their towns to the North Pole in order to help Santa create a plan to save Christmas. Did I believe in them? Eh, I mean they were an interesting bunch, all different sizes and voices, but hey, why not believe in the magic they could create together. Their self quarantines were all over so they could finally start to get to work. 

Santa heard a knock on his door right as he turned on SNN (Santa News Network). Santa shut the TV off and ran to the door - well, not quite a run more of a wobble (I mean he is getting older what can you expect from a man 1,749 years old). Anyways, Egert, Trixie, and Lucky all stood at Santa's doorstep. “Why thank you all so much for coming to help me out. Now let’s get to it, follow me,” Santa said.

The bunch stomped on the perfectly white snow that sparkled throughout the town. The candy cane street lamps glimmered and stood tall. The four of them walked past the NorstrELVEStroms, Sugarfinamas, and the Wholey Foodmas as they gazed in awe of the North Pole they heard so much of. Elves chatted in their bunched up groups around the town. Santa and his team were getting the stares that all of the quartinted mothers had been giving Chris Cuomo on CNN. They came to a sharp halt as they stood in front of a tall pink paneled star-shaped building.

“I have assigned each of you a workspace where you can use your greatest talents to the best of your ability. The first stop is you, Trixie. Welcome to your workshop.” Santa opened the pink doors and let everyone go inside. The smell of warm brown sugar and sticky honey filled each one of their nostrils and made everyone smile. Trixie flew all over her new office space. Glitter filled the walls and each cubicle. “Now don’t get too excited here, your job is serious and will be very important in carrying out our mission of saving Christmas.” Santa walked over to a machine with a large computer on it.

 “Trixie, you will be in charge of lifting the festive spirits of the humans. The elves have created this machine that will allow you to alter the dreams of every human to make them more festive. It’s your job to create those dreams and bring my spirit meter high. ” Santa explained.

Trixie stopped spinning around and landed on the ground right next to Santa. “Well, what if I can’t do that? How do I make sure it will work?”

“Then Christmas won’t be possible. In order for us to even enter into the human world my spirit meter must be high enough or else we won’t be let in. You must have hope in the process, and yourself, Trixie. I have brought you here for a reason and don’t forget that.”

Trixie bit her nails and looked down at the floor. “Okay yes you are right, I’m just a bit nervous, but I know I can do it.”

Next up was Egert’s workshop. Egert’s eyes widened as he walked through the rainbow doors. “Wow,” he said. Rows of pastel colored tables, that looked like sweet salt water taffy, were spread out through the room. Each one had an elf hard at work hammering different modes of transportation together. 

“Egert, I have made you in charge of figuring out the best way to get inside of the human’s homes or at least how we can best give the presents out to the humans. I know you can do this because you are the Easter bunny so you know how to be sneaky.” Santa said. 

Lastly, the team walked through the Northpole to get to Lucky's workshop. As they walked they passed elves huddled around the town, gossiping about Santa. 

“I can’t believe he is even going down there! I would be way too scared,” one elf whispered to the other.

“I know… I hope he will figure out a way to save Christmas that will keep us safe!” the other one said.

Santa opened the shiny gold doors to Lucky's workshop. Lucky looked up at the distant ceiling that seemed to look exactly like the night sky filled with shiny flying stars. 

“Well Lucky, I thought I would put you here to do what you're named to do, grant us luck. ” 

Lucky walked toward the center of the open round room and lied down to look up at the sky.  “I could get used to this,” Lucky said. 

Christmas was one week away and the North Pole was starting to turn into the human world. Elves started to stay inside out of fear of Santa’s plans. Candy stores closed, and some gift giving workshops shut down. The virus had yet to travel to the North pole however many elves worried that Santa going to the human world could allow the virus to travel back. 

Every morning each member of Santa's squad would go to their workshops. Trixie’s wings began to shrivel, like a dry quinched flower petal, as she stayed up every night and day working on getting the festive meter high. Egert’s paws were wrapped with tight bandages covering up the splitters he had from screwing the long red and white stained wood together to create a social distance sled that would safely distribute the gifts. Lucky galloped to his workshop every morning while eating a box of Lucky Charms. He wished at every shooting star he saw hoping to grant Santa and everyone else luck so they could save Christmas together. Santa called daily meetings where him and his team could go over all of the progress they created. The team sat in Santa's living room. The brick fireplace created warmth for the group as they all sat at the round wood table sipping on rich hot chocolate. They began every meeting by going over their progress and how each of them was doing.

“Santa I’m working the hardest I have ever worked in my life, but the meter just isn't going up” Trixie said as she pouted her lips and looked down onto the ground.

“Claus I gotta say this is hard work man. I am falling apart over here building this sleigh, especially because so many elves dropped out” Egert said.

“Not to continue this negative train of comments but none of my wishes are working on these stars” Lucky said.

All three of them slumped down on their chairs. Santa took off his circular glasses and wiped his dry eyes. “Well, at least we are trying our best. But I can’t give up like this, here look at these.” Santa said.

He reached into his brown satchel and placed a tall stack of crinkled letters on the table.

“What are these?” Egert said.

‘Letters, ' Santa said. “Letters from kids, parents, teens, they all said they need Christmas. They say that this is the only hope they have right now”

“Wow, well that is so sad!” Trixie said as a tear fell from her tiny cheek.

Lucky looked throughout the letter pile, “well this is sad but Christmas is in one week and it doesn't seem like we are prepared enough,” Lucky said.

“I have to agree. We also don’t want to bring the virus back here to the pole,” Egert said

“I can’t just cancel Christmas. It’s my life, it’s me,” Santa said. He looked through the letters and let a single tear absorb into the white postal envelope. 

“This is a hard choice Santa, but we can still do Christmas but it might just have to be a bit later in the year,” Egert said.

Trixie whimpered as she nodded her head up and down. Silence filled Santa's cottage as the four of them came to the conclusion that Christmas would need to be postponed. That night Santa prepared to inform the elves on their decision. He took a sip of eggnog to clear his itchy throat and then clicked the record button on his camera.  

“Hello. Well, I am sure many of you elves are wondering my plan for Christmas. For the past few months I along with some top notch helpers have been working tirelessly to figure out how to save Christmas. Now, I understand every one of your decisions and I apologize if I ever put you in an uncomfortable position. So here I am to inform you that Christmas will be postponed until further notice. I hope you all understand. ” Mrs.Claus gave him a thumbs up and shut the camera off. 

Elves around town gasped at the news. Overnight, the whole Northpole shut down. Workshops were closed, no one went to work, it was a ghost town. 

Santa rolled out of bed and stayed in his pajamas as he poured himself a piping hot cup of black coffee. This was the first time since he started his career that he wasn't getting ready to distribute any presents. Instead of sucking in and pulling his long red underwear over his wide belly, he stayed in his red XXXL robe that oddly enough smelt like cinnamon sticks. His cottage was quiet, only the cracking of the fire Mrs.Claus set up earlier made a sound. The red brick fireplace warmed the dusty black and white holiday cards that filled the tall wood colored walls.

Santa walked towards the plump raspberry colored couch that sat right in the center that had leftover sugar cookie crumbles in every crevice. He stared at the orange flames, and let the heat take over his face. He looked to his right and saw his old maps pinpointed with gift drop off locations, and the red twine reaching from one side of the wall to another marking his route from last year's Christmas. He closed his eyes and wished none of this craziness ever happened in the first place. He wished that those who lost their loved ones to the virus were not hurting anymore, and he sealed his eyes even tighter as he imagined a world without the virus. 

A loud bang came from his window, it almost sounded like a large rock was being thrown at it. He put on his slippers, wiped a lone tear that stayed on his pale cheek, and stepped toward the window. Hunched over, he squinted his eyes and opened the plaid green and red blinds to let a sliver of sun steep into his dark cottage. “It couldn't be,” he thought.  Rows upon rows of elves lined up in front of his house looking up at Santa with a smile. He saw Trixie, Egert, and Lucky all waiting for him right next to a sled. All of the renderers were standing six feet apart. Santa opened up his window. 

“You ready?” Egert yelled from below. 

“Are you serious? But I thought we postponed it? I don't understand.” Santa said. 

“Well, more people believe in you than you think, Claus” Lucky said. 

“A group of elves came to us last week and said they didn't want to give up. We have worked nonstop and believe we can make it work together.” Trixie said.

“Well, what are you waiting for Claus come on!” Egert said. 

The four of them sat in the sleigh and rode off into the fluffy clouds. “How are you guys sure we will even make it into their world? Is the spirit meter high enough?” 

“Oh you will be surprised, the humans are festive all right, just you wait and see,” Trixie said.

The sled lights blinked green and red as they approached the first city: New York (the hardest hit city with virus in the United States). Snow glistened and softly landed on Santa's wispy grey hair. 

“Would ya look at that” Lucky screamed for everyone to hear. Wind wooshed toward the sleigh. Twinkling bulb lights filled the streets. The smell of elm trees and cinnamon exploded when they got closer in. The humans placed their Christmas trees outside allowing their gift to be distributed. Santa looked into the dimly lit houses and saw couples slow dancing holding one another's backs swaying side to side. He saw the smiles on the faces of kids laughing with their siblings as they snuck sugar cookies into their bedrooms. Yard signs that read Merry Christmas filled yards and were tapped to windows. It just so happened that the humans made a plan too. Even in the darkest of times they stepped up and persisted, together.