Disclaimer: I do not own the Santa Clause trilogy or any of its characters, places, or ideas. The only characters I own are Crys and Rachelle.

A/N: Welcome, readers! This is my sequel to my story The Crystal Clause. I know I have uploaded this new story very fast, but I have had this idea in my head since the last few chapters of Crystal Clause and I was just waiting to finish that story before uploading this one. I am mainly focusing this story on Crys's former friend, Rachelle. Don't worry, though—there will still be plenty of Crys/Jack Frost moments to come (trust me!). Now, without further delay, here is the first chapter of my new story. I hope you all enjoy!

Wait, I lied. I couldn't fit it into my story summary, but I wanted to let you guys know that the other character who will (somewhat, for now) be involved with Rachelle is Bernard. I will have him return (probably in the next chapter), but I wanted to give you guys a heads up. Okay, I'm out of announcements (I think).

"The Rachelle Clause"

Chapter One: Midnight Plans

It has been almost a year since Crys Miller first stepped into the North Pole, not knowing that it would become her new home. It was all because she had been a bit of rebel after her childhood friend passed away when she was thirteen. Her rebellious behavior lasted for a good time after that, which inevitably forced her mother to send her here. When she met Jack Frost, she had fallen hard for him. Since then, Crys's behavior had softened after she was able to reveal and accept her story and her relationship with Jack only grew with each passing day.

Now, the couple stood together on a balcony outside Crys's room; it had become their private spot for when they wanted to talk or spend some time alone together. It was the place where Crys explained her story to Jack. It had been nearly a year since that night and the two of them had shared countless memories on that balcony. On that particular night, the stars were shining high in the sky and a light breeze welcomed them.

"I still can't believe it's been almost a year already since we met," Crys was saying to Jack, who nodded and gazed at her with icy blue eyes. He smiled that sly, knowing smile that Crys loved and kissed the top of her head, his lips brushing across her red hair.

"I know," was the only thing he managed to say. Crys closed her eyes and pictured her other home. Surprisingly, a mental image of Rachelle filled her mind and she actually felt a pang of sadness for a minute. It had been so long since she had seen her former best friend and Crys had to admit that she kind of missed her, despite the fact that Rachelle was the reason why she had been sent here in the first place. Still, if it wasn't for her… Jack turned to her and caught sight of the sad expression on Crys's face.

"What's wrong?" He asked her, his voice full of concern. Crys shook her head and tried to put on a smile.

"I'm fine. Really, nothing's wrong," she insisted. She knew she was a good liar at the best of times, but this wasn't the best of times. Jack certainly wasn't fooled; he could always tell when something was bothering Crys. He held her hand and pulled her closer to him.

"What are you thinking?" Crys debated on whether she should tell him what she had been thinking and decided to just go with the truth.

"I was thinking about my old home and my friend, Rachelle. David's sister, remember?" Crys took a deep breath and watched as he seemed to be considering this. "I just haven't seen her in practically a year. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I miss her," Crys said. Jack smiled down at her with a sudden excited spark in his eyes.

"Well, I think I have something that might cheer you up," he hinted. Crys stared at him suspiciously, wondering what he had planned.

"Let me guess. An early Christmas present and some sugary hot cocoa?" Jack laughed and Crys's bright smile quickly returned. Jack was right; he always did know how to make her laugh and cheer her up when she was sad. She didn't know what he had for her, but she was already anticipating it like a child looking forward to tons of Christmas gifts.

"No, that's not it. In fact, it's even better," he stated as he pulled something out of his coat. Crys tried to get a glimpse of it, but Jack held it away from her. She scowled and crossed her arms, which only made Jack laugh again. "If you want to see what it is, you have to close your eyes," he told her. Crys sighed and did as he instructed.

"Okay, but if I close my eyes, how can I see what it is?" She asked him sarcastically. She thought about peeking for a split second.

"No peeking," he said, as though he could read her mind. Crys kept her eyes closed and she felt Jack take hold of one of her hands. Then, she felt something cold slip onto her finger and she smiled.

"I think I know what it is," Crys said, hoping that he would let her open her eyes. With her hand still in his, Jack gave her the green light. Crys slowly let her eyes open again and she saw a beautiful, sparkling diamond ring on her finger. Her mouth dropped open as she examined it and thousands of words entered her mind, but none came out. Jack kissed her hand while she remained in shock. Then, he asked her something that would change her life after that moment.

"Crys, will you marry me?"

….

At that moment when Jack Frost proposed to Crys, Rachelle was miles away and taking a late night walk in the park. The cold winter breeze blew her golden hair back, but she didn't seem to feel its temperature on her skin. The only thing she wore was a light sweater and a baggy pair of jeans. Her boots were wearing out, but she couldn't afford to buy new ones. The sound of them shuffling against the sandy path was the only sound in the park. Her blue eyes roamed around, wondering if there was anyone else here at this hour. Probably just homeless people searching for a bench to sleep under, she thought bitterly.

Tonight, however, she wasn't thinking about some hopeless person laying on the dirty ground in the park. Tonight, she was thinking of Crys, whom she hadn't seen in a long time. She had left for some kind of rehabilitation center in the North; at least, that's what her mother had said. After Crys left, everything in Rachelle's life seemed to fall apart one by one like dominos. There was no one left to talk to or laugh with—it had always been Crys there with her. Rachelle had tried going to college after she graduated from high school last year. At first, it had been alright. Not even half a year later, Rachelle dropped out of college, saying that it wasn't for her.

Now, she was working lousy jobs full-time and all the money she earned was used to pay the rent for her new apartment. She had continuously gotten into arguments with her mother and she was finally kicked out into the streets. Rachelle's mother was strict and she had had enough of her daughter's behavior. If only David were still here, then it wouldn't have to be like this, Rachelle thought sadly as she kicked her foot at the ground. That thought had resurfaced hundreds of times since David's death and it still brought a sharp pain into her chest. Not that I would ever tell anyone else that…

Like Crys, her behavior had started shortly after her younger brother succumbed to pancreatic cancer. Rachelle saw her behavior as the only way to deal with her reality. She taught herself that she had to be strong in order to get somewhere in life and it was too risky to depend on others. That was her reality and Rachelle resented it. I hope that rehabilitation center is actually working for Crys…

Rachelle stepped out of the park and into one of the main streets of her town. In the center was a large tree that glowed with decorations. She looked at it and smiled as she thought about the last night she spent with Crys, cutting a tree down in that exact spot. There were cameras hooked onto each corner in case anyone tried destroying the tree again. Not that she would ever do that again; once was enough.

She brought her wrist up to her face and checked her watch. It was almost midnight now and a huge yawn was threatening to show up. Rachelle shook her head and started off in the direction of her apartment, not knowing that it was probably one of the last nights she would spend there.

…..

Rachelle's mother, Linda, was awake when the grandfather clock in the hallway struck twelve, the monotonous tone ringing twelve times throughout the quiet house. It had been quiet for the last few days, much like it was right after her son died. She had demanded Rachelle to get out of her house and she had bought herself an apartment on the other side of town. Linda wondered how things had gotten so bad lately.

As the clock finished its tolls, Linda made herself a hot cup of green tea, stirring it nervously for longer than was necessary. She carefully picked up the house phone and dialed the Miller's number. It rang in her ear four times before a sleepy voice came on the phone.

"Hello? Linda?" After a moment, Linda jumped to life and answered, trying to keep the strain out of her voice.

"Hello, Laura. I was just calling to see how Crys was doing," she replied awkwardly. Linda never really spent time with Crys's mother and the silence on the other line reminded her of their lack of friendship.

"You're calling…at midnight…to ask about Crys?" She sounded very doubtful and suspicious. Linda gripped the side of the table and forced the lump in her throat to disappear.

"Well, actually, I wanted to know which rehabilitation center Crys was sent to last year. The problems with Rachelle just keep growing and it's taking such a toll on me. You told me how it helped your daughter before, so maybe it's time for Rachelle to try it as well," she explained. Crys's mother listened, waiting for Linda to finish.

"The only thing I can tell you for sure is that it's in the North. Scott is the one who takes care of it and he offered to help Crys. I'll call him tomorrow and see if he can take in one more," she finally said. With that, Linda said her goodbyes and hung up the phone. She stayed at the kitchen table until twelve-thirty, contemplating the best way to break this news to her rebellious daughter.

….

Okay, so that first chapter was longer than I intended it to be. I'm hoping to use the weekend to figure out my next chapters. For now, maybe some of you could give me some feedback (a.k.a. reviews) and tell me how I am doing so far. (= The reviews from my readers are always helpful and they inspire me to continue writing!