Nothing to Hide
by CrystalHorse72
A/N: Well... I was supposed to be asleep awhile ago but I felt bad so I decided to write the prolouge for you guys!!! ^_^ Well... I have been daydreaming about this sequel A LOT and I think I just failed my Spanish test cuz I blanked out when they told me the pages to study so the least you guys can do for me is review... AND I'M BEGGING YOU TO!!! And once again, I thank everyone who reviewed Nowhere to Run' and I especially thank everyone who's coming back to read this one!! Once again, an angsty Bernard story... cept now I get to add a bit more humor, so this one won't be quite as depressing... I don't think... *grins evily* Alright, enough of that!!! On with the... other stuff... ya!!
Disclaimer: These things are stupid. Do you honestly think a 12-year-old Diet Coke-addict owns Santa Clause?!?!?!? If you do, I will be inclined to ask you what you've been smoking. Disclaimers are pointless, so I'm verifying now that I do NOT own either Santa Clause or the characters... I only own Amber, Perrin, Jacey, Hunter, the Dark One, the Dark Elves, the Grey Elves, and... well... anything else you don't recognize!!!!! And this long paragraph is going to have to do for the rest of the story cuz I'm never gonna remember to put any more up!!!!!! *takes deep breath* Also, I don't own the chapter songs!!! Okay, I'm done now!!
Discription *for any people to lazy to read the prequel and as a reminder*: Bernard witnessed what was called Dark Elf Magic when it killed his parents at a very young age, which robbed him of his innocence'. That was why Bernard was the only elf who grew up, so he decided to put it to good use and become a Grey Elf, a Dark Elf who is really a spy for the Light Elves. Dark Elves are elves who have seen the horrors of the world and also grow up. They hate the Christmas Elves because of their innocence and are working to destroy Christmas by murdering all the Light Elves. Bernard, after eight years as a Grey Elf, is now Second Assasin, forced to murder many. Working with three very close friends, Jacey (the cute but fierce red-head), Kae (the street-bred, punk elf), and Perrin (the ignorant, prat elf with a soft side), he struggled through friendships with Curtis, his forbidden love for Kae, being sent to prison, being accused of Abbey's death, but finally made it through in the end and destroyed the Dark One, which finally allowed him to admit his love for the punk, street bred elf Kae. And now, they have a daughter, Amber, who doesn't know of her parent's cruel past... and they don't want her to.
Prolouge
STAY AWAY FROM ME! a young girl screamed, running down the hallway. Bernard followed her at a simple pace, a sinister grin of his face, hands twitching with power. He knew she couldn't get away.
Sure enough, the girl ran straight into a dead end. She spun around, her back pressed against the wall, shaking as she tried to shrink against it, fear glittering in her blue eyes.
WHAT DO YOU WANT?! she screamed at Bernard, who stopped in front of her, that wicked smile still playing his lips.
Oh, you know what I want, he replied smoothly, his grin spreading. For a moment, she just stood there, staring at him. Then, closing her eyes and darting to the side, she shouted:
he stepped to the side to block her path, causing her to jump back. Please... don't...
Give me one good reason why I shouldn't? he was thoroughly enjoying himself, and her fear made it all the better.
Well... BECAUSE! she shouted at him. He laughed.
NOT GOOD ENOUGH! And with that, he attacked her, knocking them both to the ground.
NO! NO, PLEASE STOP! she screamed, fighting back tears.
THEN TELL ME WHERE KAE HID THE COOKIES! Bernard yelled back, laughing, the tickle-torture not relenting at all.
BUT MOM'LL KILL ME! Amber protested, so Bernard went for the spot'. That got to her. she shouted, shoving him off of her and sitting up, trying to catch her breath, having laughed so hard that tears came to her eyes. She finished a final pant, then raised her eyes to meet his. Kae's mischevious grin was mirrored on his daughter's face. YOU'LL HAVE TO CATCH ME FIRST! Amber wasted no time in jumping to her feet and racing down the hallway, Bernard following her.
Amber was only eight years old, but she looked like a twelve year old. Bernard and Kae had figured she'd age to about fourteen before she stopped. However, there was a reason she only had two more years to grow before the stopped after only eight years.
She was too young to be a Christmas Elf just yet, and she had both her parent's spunk, so sitting around all day was NOT an option. Instead, at the age of six, she had asked Carol if she would school her. She was taught to a third grade level, and since elves can speed up their aging to their wish, she looked about eight at the time. So then, she had been sent to school... a human school. She was able to talk with kids who looked and acted her age and would probably be with them until high school. She aged like a normal human, and had fooled everyone into thinking she really was a twelve year old with oddly shaped ears.
The only thing that wasn't perfect was get-togethers. She had to make sure it was okay with all her friends that she could go with them, but they could never come to her house (obviously, she wasn't going to be bringing them to the Pole!). Most of her friends accepted that fact easily.
Bernard had wanted her to go to the best school she could and had found it in Arizona, a state in America. Another reason they chose this was because while Amber's home would forever be in the snow, she was four hours away from any snow in her school. This way, she wouldn't get *too* sick of the North Pole.
The school was different than most; instead of everything being inside, all the walkways and lockers were outside and the classrooms were all put in seperate buildings, about five classrooms to a building. So everyday, Bernard would magic her to school behind the sixth grade science room and then pick her up in the same place. Now, at the physical age and with the maturity of a twelve year old, she was all he could hope for in a daughter. She was well on her way in development, and her body was slender, which all her friends glared at her for... as an elf, she was able to eat anything without gaining anything, while her friends had to work VERY hard at fighting the temptation to scarf down three brownies at lunch. Really, none of them were out of shape at all, but Amber was . It bugged them.
Not to mention while almost everyone had the same, brown eyes (except Holly's, which tended to change color every day), Amber's were a beautiful blue. Her hair, which was dirty blonde with a distinct, reddish tint was cropped short like Kae's with different layers, the shortest being the side pieces, which hung annoyingly in her eyes. She had a lot of spunk and resembled Kae very much... and since eight years was nothing to elves of Kae and Bernard's ages, Kae and her were about on the same maturity level... the only difference being that while Kae would bombard Perrin with kitchen utensils (especially knives) when she was angry, Amber resorted to throwing plastic salt shakers and other things that hurt like hell but didn't break when Hunter bugged her.
Hunter had also decided he wanted schooling and was in the same class as her, though Jacey insisted on picking him up herself everyday instead of Bernard getting them both. He was tall, pale, dark haired and blue-eyed, just like Perrin. There was very little resemblence to Jacey in him. Both of them were wonderful kids with bright futures and wonderful lives. There was only one thing that bothered Bernard.
Neither of them knew about their parent's past. And as long as nothing happened, neither of them would ever know.
The Kurai on their chests had faded into a dull scar, barely distinguishable as the Kurai anymore. Yet it still gleamed at them day after day, a burden they would forever have to bare.
You fear your past, don't you? Kae asked one night as Bernard observed the small scar it had become.
And you don't? Kae grinned at him, then sighed heavily.
The only thing I'm afraid of is if... well... if Amber finds out, Kae admitted. Both of them had agreed that they weren't going to tell Amber about the Grey Elves... or the Dark Elves, or the Kurai, or Dark Elf Magic, or any of it! She didn't need to know, so why poison her mind with it? Bernard already had to live with the guilt of seeing Curtis everyday.
It's my fault... Bernard would often mutter, and in times like these, Kae crossed the kitchen in a few strides and whacked him over the back of his head with her wooden spoon.
Oh give it up, will you?! she growled at him.
Kae, he saw me preform Dark Elf Magic... Bernard hung his head. Curtis, over the past eight years, had aged to the physical appearence of sixteen, and Bernard hoped it would stop there. In his final battle with the Dark One, he had destroyed Curtis's innocence. And just to add to his guilt, another elf had made a request that was unavoidable.
Oh, hello Judy!
Bernard... can you do me a favor?
Sure! What is it?
I... well... I want you to show me Dark Elf Magic.
Bernard didn't know what to say to that. He just looked at that young girl, her head hung, tears in the corners of her eyes. He fumbled for words, unable to think of anything intelligable, and when he tried, only one word came out:
Curtis... he's going to grow up. I love him, Bernard! But... if I stay the same and he grows up...
Bernard shook the memory away and looked over to the mantlepiece where his eyes fell on four pictures: The Grey Elves, Him with the North Pole Elves on the staircase from before his Grey Elf days, his and Kae's wedding picture, and a picture of the sixteen year old-looking Judy and Curtis. He only got to look at it a few moments before Kae whacked him with the spoon over the back, slammed the picture face-down, and then glared at him.
she grumbled, stamping off to her cooking, which was soon followed by a long string of curses and, I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAFTA GO OUT TO DINNER TONIGHT! Bernard couldn't help but laugh.
They're doing it again... Amber muttered to herself before pulling her head back from around the corner and sliding the floor, pulling her knees to her chest. She knew it... she'd known it since she was four. They were hiding something from her, and whenever they thought she wasn't there, they'd talk about it. But what is it they're hiding from me?! Anger and frusteration was boiling up inside her, to the point where she thought she might not be able to take it anymore when...
Hi Amber, came Hunter's voice from next to her. She promptly stood up, grabbed a lamp off the nearby table and whacked him over the head with it, causing it to shatter and Hunter fell to the ground before Amber ran into the kitchen.
MOM! PERRIN AND JACEY ARE HERE! HUNTER BROKE A LAMP AGAIN! Kae and Bernard saw Hunter, who was holding his head in pain, mouth:
She whacked me with one again!' from behind Amber. Both parents sighed.
Allright, what's bothering you now, Amber? they both groaned, very used to this. She blushed and hung her head. Oh come on! There's nothing to hide!
I wish you'd listen to yourself... Amber muttered to herself before forcing a smile. Nothing at all!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: Well, this plot is still developing, but I think I pretty much have the whole thing figured out... except now, I have to come up with two plots! As usual, chapters will be twenty pages, but this time, ten for Bernard and the Grey Elves, ten for Amber and the rest of her gang. Also, for anyone who is a *really* devoted fan... should I write a threequel and what should I write it about??? Always taking ideas, but I'm telling you...
THE MORE YOU REVIEW, THE FASTER I WRITE!!!! AND EVEN IF I DO FINISH THE CHAPTER, I WON'T POST IT TILL THERE ARE FIVE REVIEWS ON THE CHAPTER BEFORE IT!!!!!!
So, in other words...
REVIEW!!!!!!!!REVIEW!!!!!!!!REVIEW!!!!!!!!REVIEW!!!!!!!!REVIEW!!!!!!!!