Hi there, everyone! Felicity-Neverhawk here, tentatively but hopefully putting my work out on the net! I have a bunch of ideas for stories of all kinds that I want to share, and hopefully you will enjoy reading those ideas as they take form. :)

Anyway, here is a story for one of my favorite movie trilogies...The Santa Clause! *throws colorful confetti* I grew up watching this series as a kid, and made it a tradition every Christmas to catch the movies when they aired on the Disney Channel. I own all three of the movies on DVD now, so I can watch them whenever I want (and even watch them out of season, because why not? ;) )

As you can probably tell, this is set after my favorite of the three Santa Clause movies...the third one. I just fell in love with Jack Frost. I mean, it was Martin Short playing the role of Jack, so how could someone not love him in so many ways? Am I right? :D

In this story I'd like to explore the aftermath of Jack almost ruining Christmas and tricking Scott with the Escape Clause. I would also like to explore other aspects of the magical world that we only see glimpses of in the movies. Finally, I'd like to explore Jack's character, and answer questions we may have been wondering about him - who is his family? How did he get his powers? What made him turn evil in the first place?

Hopefully this story succeeds in being a fun, interesting tale! We shall certainly see! In the meantime, please enjoy the beginning of what I hope to be an epic journey!

On a final note, this story is dedicated to the marvelous Martin Short, who celebrates his 65th birthday today, March 26th! Happy birthday, Marty! :)

Prologue

It was approaching Jack Frost's first full year of staying at the North Pole since Lucy Miller had melted his heart...and despite what he had initially feared, the winter warlock couldn't remember feeling this happy and free in a long, long time.

Jack had to admit that he was also adjusting quite well in general. And that was a surprise. He'd imagined things would be even more difficult because of his now "slushy" feelings and lingering, mischievous urges. But he had been learning to control himself, thanks to some meaningful talks with his friend Scott Calvin...who just happened to be Santa Claus.

Yes, the Santa Claus.

Jack couldn't resist a smile. Ah, Scott, he thought warmly. You are a truly dear companion. How can I ever repay you for your kindness?

He supposed taking up residence at the North Pole and assisting the jolly Legendary Figure around the workshop was repayment in some way. On another note it was the least the winter warlock could do, after nearly ruining Christmas.

Jack was actually surprised that Mother Nature hadn't stripped him of his powers when she had been informed of the whole Escape Clause affair. It was an affair that some of the more strong-headed elves liked to refer more "creatively" as Frost's Flop or Blizzard's Blunder.

But Jack didn't let these obvious insults faze him. In fact, he had come to embrace the onslaught with open arms. He knew he had been foolish, greedy, and evil. He was willing to accept the responsibility for his actions. If people wanted to continue viewing him as the same malicious warlock of winter he had left behind, they were welcome to it. He wasn't about to waste his energy trying to fight back against vicious, stubborn, and petty remarks.

Jack did try to defend himself whenever Bernard, Scott's head elf, griped at him about this and that. Jack knew Bernard well, and Bernard knew him well in turn...far too much for either's liking. That meant that they were strongly aware of each other's pressure points, and subsequently they tried to give one another hell as much as possible.

Sometimes it wasn't so bad, though. Sometimes Bernard and Jack actually managed to communicate in a way that didn't end up with their hands around each other's throats. Now that Jack's heart was melted, he had a sliver of hope that things could be amended between himself and the head elf.

Only a sliver, mind you. Jack knew how determinedly stubborn Bernard could be. It wouldn't do to aspire too much for something that would probably remain forever unattainable.

The winter warlock focused back on the present time now, taking a deep breath and sitting back in the ice-blue Adirondack chair he had conjured up in an empty space of his living room. The whole area was well-furnished, with shades of blues adorning nearly every cushion, lamp, and armrest. There were also wooden tables and bookcases set about which gave the room a homey, rustic appeal.

This was only a part of the large, two story home that Jack had been given by Scott so that he could live more freely and comfortably at the North Pole. It was a giant place, and almost felt like a mansion. It was located near the edge of Elfsburg, the village surrounding the workshop, and despite this fact, Jack didn't feel secluded or cut off. The area he lived in was always alive with elvin activity and cheer.

Jack's mansion-like abode was also a beautiful sight on the outside, too - a marvelous Queen Anne style structure that was painted snowy white and baby blue. It had once been the home of another frosty warlock - Jack's great-grandfather, Jonathen "Old Man" Winter, in fact. Winter, as he was more commonly called in the Frost family and in the history books, had aided the first Santa, Kris Kringle, in building the workshop at the North Pole. Winter had also helped Kringle with the toy-making process.

Perhaps that explained some of Jack's behavior over the past year, the winter Legendary thought as he sipped on a cup of peppermint tea he had prepared to relax himself.

When Kringle first encountered Winter, he had given the cruel, cold-hearted warlock the selfless gift of a toy - if Jack remembered right, this toy had been one of those wooden trains that children liked so much. This act on Kringle's part had touched Winter so profoundly that his heart had been melted and he had become a kinder, gentler soul.

It only made sense that a similar circumstance had happened to Jack which had happened to his great-grandfather - his heart had been touched by warmth, both literally and figuratively. Subsequently the icicle bonds of Jack's heart had fallen away, and the kind, caring dove of his nature had finally been able to flutter its wings and feel freedom.

Jack's hand suddenly halted in mid-air; he had been prepared to take another sip of tea, only...his thoughts had suddenly turned towards a darker aspect of his life. A darkness which he had once believed to be repressed and forgotten, tucked away neatly inside his once icy conscious.

He had just remembered how he'd become frozen in the first place.

That's in the past, Jack thought firmly. His hands began shaking against his will, so he placed his cup of tea on a nearby table and calmly took a few deep breaths. The past is unimportant. Life is about moving ahead and trying not to make the same mistakes you did before.

Boy, and did Jack have his share of mistakes.

An abrupt knocking on the front door startled Jack out his temporarily gloomy thoughts. Snapping to attention, he jumped up from his seat and padded down the long hallway that led right into the spacious foyer. A moment later Jack's hand was on the doorknob and he found himself pulling on it.

The figure that stood before him on his front porch was none other than Bernard. As usual, the head elf wore a maroon and gold striped shirt, brown pants, black boots, and a dark, emerald green beret, out of which curls of brown hair seemed to sprout like twisting vines.

"Ah, what a pleasant surprise, Bernard," Jack greeted with a smile. "What brings you to my doorstep this afternoon?"

"I'm afraid this isn't a personal trip, Frost," Bernard retorted, his eyebrows already drawing downwards in irritation. "Santa insisted I come here and fetch you. It seems there's a problem at the workshop and he needs your help."

Jack chuckled in mild disbelief.

"Seriously?" he sighed. "I really wasn't planning to get back in my suit anytime soon. You know how I am about looking decent in public."

That was certainly true. He had just shed his velvet blue suit and accompanying garments in exchange for a more relaxing blue sweater over a plain white T-shirt, along with black jeans and blue Converse. He was in no mood to get back in his formal ensemble at the moment, even for an emergency.

As expected, Bernard groaned at Jack's comments.

"Frost, it doesn't matter if you're wearing a suit or even if you look like a bum," he said. "All I know is that Santa needs you at the workshop pronto and that I'm going to be late getting back to my shift if I keep talking to you about this."

"Ouch." Jack faked a grimace. "And here I thought we were having a nice conversation for once, Berns."

"Don't call me Berns," Bernard warned. His eyes flared like fire. "You know how much I hate that. So just stop."

Jack raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright, take it easy, head elf. The nickname was only meant in jest."

Bernard glared at the warlock for a moment with a mixture of aggravation and hatred. Then he sighed, and beckoned Jack to follow him with one hand.

"Santa wanted me to escort you there," Bernard explained, when Jack stepped out onto the porch and gave the head elf a puzzled look. "He figured it would be better that way. I can't really fathom why, though."

Jack merely nodded. He wasn't going to object to Bernard tagging along, even if he didn't enjoy the prospect of it. Besides, if his ideas of what Scott needed him for were at all significant, the warlock figured the extra reinforcement wouldn't hurt anything.

So, closing the door of his home behind him, Jack followed Bernard down the bustling city street towards the workshop that lay beyond, praying that whatever was happening, it would be trivial and not upset the balance that the winter warlock of legend had finally found within himself.

So, what did you think? Interesting enough so far? Please leave your comments and tell me if you enjoyed this or have any ideas about what might happen next! :)

~Felicity-Neverhawk