Love is the Best Medicine
Summary: This is a Santa Clause 2 fanfic. Erin's heart has been shattered by the deaths of most of the people she loves a year prior to the events in this story. She believes anyone she loves will get hurt so she refuses to show any feelings of affection, developing a case of the melancholies. It's time for someone to supply her with the best kind of medicine, which isn't laughter.
Parings: Bernard/OC
Disclaimer: I don't own SC2. Disney does. So there! I only own Erin, who's based on me, by the way -.
Notes: Since I don't think the movies ever say where Charlie and his family live, I've put them in New York. Scott and Santa are the same person. I might include some song lyrics in latter chapters. I based the title on the saying laughter is the best medicine.'Words ' thought" Words " speech, Words song lyrics" Words " more than one person speaking, Words emphasis
Chapter 1: In the Beginning
It was one of the coldest days of Erin's life, and for more than one reason. Ever since September eleventh 2001, her family had been torn apart. Her mother had died when the first tower collapsed (a man she worked with and knew her said she let some people, including a blind man and his Seeing Eye dog, leave the floor before the ceiling caved in) and her grandfather in the second (he and a few others were trapped behind some debris and he had a heart attack while helping to move it). One of the people he was trapped with carried him outside. He said he'd tried everything to wake him up. The last time she and her brother (on leave from the army (a private)) heard their voices was when they called her on her cell phone.
Her brother was also a touchy subject. He'd been in Iraq for six months now. She often wrote to him, sometimes asking about their father, who died in a car accident a month afterher first birthday. He didn't seem to be writing back, though, which worried her. As far as she knew, she didn't have any relatives to stay with. All her grandparents were dead now and she didn't have any aunts or uncles (both her parents were only children). Once her friend Charlie's mom Laura and his step dad Neil heard she didn't have anywhere to stay for Christmas, they immediately took her in.
Thoughts of Charlie and his family always brought a smile to Erin's face, like they were doing now. She couldn't help but think of another Christmas eight years ago. Her mom had taken a much needed vacation from taking care of her job and family, so they each got to stay at a friends house Christmas Eve and she'd pick them up in the morning. While her brother was at his friend Justin's, she was with Charlie and his dad Scott. At first, it seemed the holidays would be terrible. Scott burnt the turkey and they had to eat at Denny's. Things got more interesting as the night went by.
Flashback:
"Hey, you" Scott Calvin yelled up to the man on his roof. The man slipped and fell off the roof with a thud. Charlie and Erin had pulled on their coats and were standing on the steps. "WOW! It's Santa!" "Charlie, Erin, just stay there. Stay there." The two children ignored him and ran over to his side. "You killed him."
End Flashback:
From there it was even more fun. Scott, Charlie, and Erin delivered the gifts and went to the North Pole. There they met Bernard, the Head Elf. Now, eight years later, Mr.C as she called him was the new Santa. Most kids made fun of her because she still believed in Santa at the age of 16, but they didn't understand. After all the stuff she'd been through, she needed something to believe in. Besides, there was more to it than that. As Judy (another elf they met eight years ago) had said before, seeing isn't believing, believing is seeing, and she had sure seen a lot over the course of eight years.
Charlie was worried about Erin. Ever since her mother's death she hadn't talked much about anything. The only things that always struck up a conversation were Christmas and his dad. So, on the same day Erin was reminiscing, Charlie grabbed the snow globe Bernard had given him when they last saw each other. He remembered that moment well.
Flashback:
"I love you Santa Claus." Charlie was crying as he gave his father a huge hug before he left. "I love you too, son." Everyone else was silent. Suddenly, they heard another voice. "What's all this boo-hooing in here" Bernard showed up eating Neil's pita sandwich. "It's nothing, Bernard. I'm just saying goodbye to my son." "What goodbye? Charlie, you still have the glass ball, right" Charlie, still sniffling, nodded. "Well, all you gotta do is shake it when you want to see your dad." "Really?" "Hey, have I ever steered you wrong?"
End Flashback:
Charlie smiled, then shook the snow globe and ran downstairs to wait. Soon, Scott Calvin stood in the middle of the living room. "What's up, Sport" Charlie sighed. "I'm really worried about Erin, dad. She hardly talks, barely eats, and almost never sleeps." Scott knew they'd talk about this eventually, ever since the accident. He sighed as he sat on the couch.
"Well what do you want me to do, Sport" "I have an idea. Do you think Erin could stay at the North Pole for awhile" Scott sighed again. "I don't know, Charlie. What would the elves think?" "Please, dad." Scott couldn't resist the look on his sons face. "Oh, alright. Bring her here." Charlie's face immediately brightened up. "She's in the back yard. I'll be right back."
Erin was so overjoyed she almost forgot to tell Scott thank you. Christmas at the North Pole! She couldn't wait. Right now, she was packing everything she'd need: Sweaters? Check. Jeans? Check. Laptop? Check. Sketchbooks? Double check. She never went anywhere without her sketchbooks. CD player and favorite CDs? Check.
She'd finished packing her backpack, now it was time to pack her smaller backpack (a purse designed to look like a backpack). She threw a few barrettes in, followed by some hair ribbons, then a few bracelets. The only thing left to pack was a picture of her mother, her brother, and herself at the beach when she was ten. She held the picture for a moment, remembering part of that vacation extremely well.
Flashback:
"I'm gonna get you!" Her brother Nathan was chasing her around the beach. Their mother was relaxing by a half - finished sand castle. All of them were smiling and laughing. "Hey, Mommy! I bet you can't catch me!" Her mother, grinning, stood up, yelled"Oh, yes I can!" and ran to join them in the water.
End Flashback:
She thrust the photo into her backpack as tears began welling up in her blue eyes. 'Think about something else, Erin. You haven't received the Letter yet, so he can't be dead. ' Silently, she threw a few DVDs into thebackpack and left her room. Once she reached the living room she sat down with Laura, Neil, and Charlie to wait for Judy (Scott had to leave (there was a security issue or something) so he told her Judy would come to get her).
"Hey, Erin." She jumped a mile and turned to see Judy's smiling face. "Oh, hi Judy. Please don't do that." Judy giggled a bit, and then reached out for her hand. As she took it, she turned to say good-bye. "Bye, Charlie. Bye, Lara. Bye, Neil." "Bye!" And with that, Judy and Erin teleported to the North Pole.
Authors Note: I know it's a little boring, but it'll get better, trust me. Oh, and please review. I'm not too desperate, but I have a sequel on the way, and if nobody reviews I won't post it. oh, and the letter she's referring to is the letter a family gets when a family member dies in the army.