"Alright, what do we have today then?" Jim asked as he reached across the kitchen table for the large card and opened it. He found the envelope with ‘four' written on it and ripped it open to reveal a postcard with a large caricature of Dwight dressed in his elf costume from a few years ago with a speech bubble coming out of his mouth. "Take a look at what I found on a shelf. Convince Dwight he's turned into an elf," Jim read from the card. "What did you find on a shelf?" he asked, looking over to where Pam was standing by the kitchen counter. 

"This," she said proudly, holding up Dwight's elf hat. 

"Oh my god," he laughed. "Where did you get that from?" he asked, getting up from the table and walking over to where Pam was standing. He took the green felt hat from her and turned it over in his hands, marvelling at the discovery. 

"I've had it since the party, I must have accidentally taken it home or something," she explained. 

"Or something," he laughed.   

"But I've never known what to do with it, until now," she grinned. 

"Ok, so what's the plan for today then?" he asked as he took the cup of coffee that Pam had just poured for him.  

"Simple. You've got to convince Dwight he's turning into an elf," she said with a shrug of her shoulder. 

"Oh, because that's so easy," he replied with a roll of his eyes. 

"You'll figure it out," she said before tiptoeing up to kiss Jim's cheek. "I'm gonna have a shower. Wanna join me?"

"Absolutely I do," he grinned as he threw the postcard onto the kitchen counter and followed Pam out of the kitchen.   

--

"Morning Dwight," Jim said, overly cheerfully as Dwight took his seat at his desk with a cup of coffee. "Looking kinda tired there. Everything ok buddy?"

"I was up half the night searching the house for gingerbread men," Dwight sighed. 

"Still think they're out to get you, huh?" 

"I did find one more tucked up in Mose's bed. But it didn't look like the others. Looked like it had been there for a while. But when I asked him about it, he just grabbed the cookie and ran away and didn't return until dawn." 

"Well, I've not seen any since I've been here. But I'll keep an ear out if anyone says anything about them," Jim said reassuringly as he stared at Dwight's ear. 

"What? What is it?" Dwight said, turning his head around to look at whatever Jim was looking at just to the side of his head. 

"Oh no, it's nothing," Jim said quickly, ducking his head down, but then peeking back up. When Dwight caught him looking at the side of his face again, he darted his eyes back down to his desk again. 

"What is it?" Dwight asked self consciously.

"It's, no," Jim paused. "Have your ears always been so pointy?" 

"What?" Dwight exclaimed, his hands flying to his ears. 

"No, it's nothing. Forget I said anything," Jim said as he picked up his phone to make a call, leaving Dwight to try and check the shape of his ears in the reflection from the back of the teaspoon that he'd snatched from his coffee cup. 

--

"What are you two idiots doing?" Dwight boomed as he walked into the breakroom to find Jim and Pam sitting at one of the tables, trying to assemble a small doll's house.

"Oh Jim ordered this for his niece Vanessa for Christmas," Pam said, gesturing to the pile of wooden pieces that lay in front of them, "but he didn't realise it didn't come already built, so we're trying to build it now." 

"Why aren't you doing it at home?" 

Jim's shoulders sagged slightly as Pam's eyes darted to meet his in a brief moment of panic. "Um, because it just got delivered here today, and also, she's coming over tonight and we didn't want her to see it. His niece I mean. She's the one coming over tonight." Jim placed his hand underneath the table on Pam's jittering knee to try to get her to stop talking. 

"Dwight, can we borrow your Philips screwdriver?" Jim asked as he picked up a screw from the table and held it up to a piece of wood with a pre-drilled hole in it. 

"Idiot, that's a flathead screw, a Phillips screwdriver isn't going to work."

"Oh yeah," Jim said, looking more closely at the screw. "Man, I'm so bad at this kinda stuff."

"That's because you've been molly coddled your entire life. I bet you've never had to make a toy before," Dwight said. 

"Well," Jim began.

"I've been making toys since I was three years old," Dwight said proudly 

"Oh?" Pam prodded. 

"I've made hay dolls and tricycles and train sets and race cars and rocking horses and marble runs," Dwight listed out, counting on his fingers. 

"Wow, you really are great at making toys. Ever made a doll's house?" Jim asked. 

"Pfft. Please. I've built real houses. A doll's house is nothing," Dwight spat.

"I don't know," Pam said slowly, raising one eyebrow. "This has got so many parts to it. It's really complicated. We've been trying for a while now." 

"With the wrong tools. I could build this in 10 minutes tops." 

"No," Jim said, feigning confusion. "That's impossible." 

"Watch me," Dwight said, pulling a chair out at the table and sitting down. He pulled a small set of screwdrivers from his shirt pocket and set to work building the doll's house. 

"Impressive," Jim said nine minutes later as Dwight screwed the last piece of roof onto the house. "You really are a master toymaker. Could totally see you changing careers. Especially with those ears," Jim added under his breath.

"I'll always be a paper salesman first, beet farmer second, karate master third," Dwight said, admiring his handiwork before putting the doll's house on the table. "But maybe if I retire," he said quietly, placing his hands over his ears and walking out of the break room.

-- 

"Jimbo Chrimbo," Michael laughed as he walked out of his office and went to perch on the edge of Jim's desk. "Have you got that list of clients that we need to contact before the new year?" 

"You know what? I started making it, but I don't know where it is," Jim said, as he leafed through various papers on his desk. 

"Idiot," Dwight snapped. "Here it is Michael," he said, holding up a list with about six names scrawled on it in Jim's messy handwriting.  

"Thanking you," Michael said with a bow as he took the piece of paper from Dwight. "Ugh, this is a mess Jim, what's going on with you?" 

"I know, I know," Jim said sadly, "I'm all over the place at the moment. Dwight, can you help me? You're so good with lists." 

"Jim, this is a simple task, you should be able to complete it yourself," Dwight said sharply. 

"No, I know. I'll make the list. And I'll even check it twice," Jim sighed. 

"Hey, like Santa!" Michael exclaimed. 

"Right," Jim said. "So maybe you can just help me with it? Like an assistant to the assistant regional manager?" 

"Or like Santa's assistant?" Michael said, his face aglow. "Oh, wait, that's an elf. Ok, Jim, you be Santa, and Dwight, you're his elf."

"Perfect," Jim smiled as he leaned back in his chair with his hands behind his head. 

--

"Hey Dwight," Pam said quietly as she walked up to his desk, holding his green elf hat.

"Gimme that," Dwight said, snatching the hat from her hands and placing it on his head. 

"Would you look at that," Jim grinned. 

"Where did you find this? I've been looking for it for years," Dwight marvelled.

"Um, it was, uh, underneath the couch by reception," Pam lied, her cheeks tinged with a pinkness.

"Oh, no, Dwight you can't dress up as an elf today," Michael said, coming out of his office as he heard the commotion. "Save it for next year's Christmas party." 

"Well," Jim butted in. "You know Dwight, between the toy making, and helping with my list, and the ears..." 

"There's nothing wrong with my ears," Dwight said defensively, putting his hands over his ears yet again.

"You're right, he's an elf! An actual real life elf," Michael practically danced. "Although, aren't you a little tall to be an elf?" 

"Well, don't forget Buddy the Elf," Pam said, causing the three men to look at her. "You know, from the movie Elf?" 

"Right!" Michael shouted.

"No, there's no. No!" Dwight said, standing and throwing the hat off of his head.

"Oh you are totally an elfio," Andy chimed in, having wheeled his desk chair away from his own clump. 

"This doesn't concern you," Dwight said through gritted teeth. 

"I really think you might be," Jim added. 

"Definitely," Pam added, trying to keep a straight face.

"Michael?" Dwight asked, his voice full of concern. 

"Sure, why not. You can be an elf, or Big Bird or the freaking man from the moon. Just get back to work, everyone," Michael shouted before he walked back into his office, slamming the door. 

"What's up with him?" Jim whispered to Pam.

"Maybe he just wants some time to hims-elf," she giggled. 

"Such a dork," Jim laughed with a roll of his eyes.

Pam turned her attention to Dwight. "Want me to get rid of that then?" she asked, pointing to the hat. "Seeing as you're not really an elf and all?" 

"Um, no," Dwight said, holding the hat protectively in his arms. "I'll keep it, just in case."

"Just in case," Jim smiled.