Q-A: Here we go with chapter 4! This is where we get to meet another Guardian. And I hope the last chapter was a good enough clue for ya!

Disclaimer: Bridget is mine (For now) while places and people owned by DreamWorks and William Joyce are theirs.

~Number 1234593~

"I don't like that color, paint it blue. Boys like blue more this year." North's order rung loud and clear to the yeti that had finished painting the toy plane. Now he had to repaint the plane and three dozen more much to the mystical creature's disappointment.

The whole North Pole was in a buzz with getting ready for Christmas that was less then a month away. North was too busy to focus on anything that didn't have to do with toy building and preparing for the big day. The last thing he wanted was any-"Wagaahff Agruagf!" Phil, the yeti in charge of security came barging in with his arms waving erratically.

North's eyebrows furrowed when he grasped what the abominable snowman said. "Vhat you mean, someone breaking in?" His Russian accent was heavy with disbelief. "Vorkshop is impossible to find. No man could-" "Hey North!" Jack Frost's voice rung through the workshop. North almost surpassed a smile. Of course no man could find it but a teenaged hellion is another story altogether.

Many of the yetis and elves turned to see who the 'intruder' was and saw Jack walking through the same doors Phil came in less than a minute ago. The yetis grunted as they resumed working. They were use to seeing the Guardian of Fun coming in whenever he felt like it. North had made it so that the boy was always welcomed at the North Pole since Easter.

North's face gleamed like a Christmas tree as he welcomed him. "Jack Frost! Good to be seeing of you."

Jack returned the smile. "Great to see ya too, North."

"But vhy back so soon?" The older Guardian lowered his hands to his hips. "I did not think you would return until spring."

The younger Guardian smiled a bit. "Well you see-"

"Hey what's the big deal? Let me go!" Both Legendaries turned their heads toward the opened doors to see another yeti, named Yaloo, half dragging a resisting figure. Neither could see the person because a hood concealed the face. While North had a surprised expression Jack nearly winced. This was not going to his plan at all.

"So this is the intruder." North crossed his arms. Jack placed his staff on the floor and put his hands up. "No, no you don't understand that's actually-"

"Oomph!" The figure groaned as the hood slid off by accident. North's sapphire eyes widened when he saw that the he was actually a she. "I really didn't see coming," the girl mumbled.

Jack picked up his staff before muttering, "You and me both."

"An adolescent," North whispered before shouting towards Jack, "YOU brought an adolescent to North Pole!"

"The adolescent has a name you know," Bridget said in an amused tone. Her face turned serious when she asked, "Can someone help me up? I've been sitting here for like two minutes now."

Yaloo, who recovered from shock, gently pulled the redhead up and angled her so her face met the two Guardians'. "Thanks," she said. "Say did you knew you had these Chewbaccas up here? Or are they all cousins to Big Foot?" She couldn't help but chuckle at her own joke.

In the first time Jack ever seen it North was completely floored by this new arrival. "Mosolov," he whispered. "You-you can." He whipped down near Jack's level and whispered. "She can see us. Did you know this?"

"Yeah, isn't it amazing?" Jack grinned. "I almost couldn't believe it either."

North turned his head back toward Bridget and looked at her with newfound interest. "An adolescent who is also a believer. I never thought I'd see one again."

Bridget smiled while hearing that. "Yeah well the feeling's mutual. Except for the fact you're not the same age as me and I can't see you."

North's thick brown eyebrows rose up. "You are blind," he said it as a statement not a question.

Bridget nodded. "Yes." She frowned and had a look of realization. "And that's why Jack kidnapped me."

The winter spirit walked up to her self-protectively. "I didn't," he yelled. "When I asked if you wanted to know if you were on Santa's nice list you said 'yes.'"

Bridget rolled her eyes before replying, "Yeah but I said it nonchalantly. Then you had the gull to pick me up and fly me up here. But I wouldn't have remembered most of the trip since I past out from screaming halfway through Quebec."

"And you were really loud too." Jack rubbed his ears as he recalled her banshee like yelling.

"Excuse ME?"

"Now, now, now," North spoke to cease their bickering. "Let's down the settling right now." The Guardian of Wonder placed his tattooed 'Naughty' arm on Jack's shoulder and his 'Nice' one on Bridget's. "I vould like to hear more of your story leetle girl and how you and Jack Frost came to meet. If you do not mind that at all that is."

The 'leetle' girl sighed in defeat. "Yeah sure."

North released them both and clapped his hands in gratitude. "Vonderful! Now vhy don't we got you some hot chocolate? You must be cold."

Bridget smiled and said, "You got that right. I'm Bridget by the way and I am a little curious to why you have yetis around here. And Jack and Jamie said something about them making the toys."

North gave a hearty laugh as he led her to the grand fireplace. "Vell Bridget it's a long story…"

Loud laughter could be heard from all of the corners of Santoff Claussen. Bridget was in near tears after hearing what North had just told her. "So let me get this straight. All of the elves here were once your 'mighty men' who helped you rob and steal treasures all across the world."

North nodded eagerly, "Yes they use to fight grand armies and did whatever I told them. Upon our arrival in Santoff Claussen, the village this workshop vas named after, ve vere bombarded by its Spirit of the Forest, who promised beautiful treasures to us.

"I but was too clever for her tricks and took none. But my men were greedy though, and were turned to stone by the Spirit of the Forest. I pleaded vith Spirit of Forest to turn them back from stone. And she did it, but vith a side effect." He grinned knowingly and leaned toward Bridget and whispered, "And you remembered vhat I said?"

The redhead nodded, "They didn't return back into their normal selves, but into small elven men vith high-pitched voices. Instead of angry or cruel men, they vere happy and smiley elves." She finished with a failed attempt to mimic North's heavy accent. Both of their laughter echoed the Globe where they sat, as they waited for Bridget's new long cane to be made. Yes that was part of Jack's plan was for her to get a new cane and meet North. Especially the meeting North part.

It almost surprised Jack how well Bridget hit it off with North. To think he was probably thinking about throwing her out until she started asking the bearded man all sorts of questions. And being North he was happy to answer them, at least the ones that weren't too personal. That's what Jack had hoped, to see her getting along with North and probably introducing her to the rest. The other Guardians would definitely love to meet a teenager nearing adulthood that still held them all with a strong sense of belief. Why she had such a strong belief was still a mystery to Jack as he watched her and North carefully while resting on a wooded pillar.

Phil walked over with a stack of finished Nutcrackers and looked suspiciously at the lone Guardian. The yeti pushed Jack with a free hand and grunted. He pointed toward the other two. Jack took the hint and answered, "I'm keeping an eye on her okay. There's nothing wrong with that." Phil gave him an 'I'm-watching-you' look before walking toward North.

North inspected the wooden toys before declaring, "I don't like them. Re-paint with blue for pants instead of black and gold trimmings, not silver."

Phil gave an exasperated sigh and took the crate back for the yeti painter to fix.

"I'm sure they look real nice," Bridget shouted sympathetically. She turned her head to North's direction before asking, "Don't you sound a little harsh? I'm sure they're all doing their best."

"Yes," North sighed. "But vith Christmas a month away everything must be perfect and ready."

Bridget frowned slightly after hearing that. "Then sitting with me must be wasting your time-"

"No, no," North corrected. "Please spending time vith new friends is not wasting anytime at all." Bridget smiled when he called her a friend. "Okay," she agreed. "I'll just stay and listen to your stories, sir." She ended with a false salute.

"Aww now, vhat's vith this 'sir' business? Do I sound like a sir to you?"

Bridget shook her head bashfully. "No. It's just that the kids call you Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Khris Kringle, or whatever. And Frost calls you North; I have no idea what to properly call you."

"Ha, if it matters that much to you then you may know me by Nicholas St. North."

Bridget blinked twice before suggesting, "Why don't I just call you North too."

"Fine by me!"

She placed her cup of coco and waited for an elf to refill. As she waited Bridget asked, "So why are you and the rest called Guardians? Jamie told me a little from what Jack told him and from I gathered you protect kids but what do you protect exactly?"

North perked up at that question. "So you know Jamie. Vell yes it is correct that the Sandman, the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, Jack Frost, and I are all Guardians of Childhood. It is our job to protect the children of the world from many threats such as the boogeyman and his darkness."

Bridget shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "The boogeyman is real?" If there was one person Jamie told her existed and wanted not to be real, it was the boogeyman.

North nodded solemnly. "He is, but ve, the Guardians, do everything in our power to fight him so children can be safe. It is vhat makes us who ve are. Those make our centers."

"So then what's your center?"

The Guardian contemplated over that. If she could see he would have showed her the Russian nesting doll that he had showed Jack. North finally decided to ask her a question. "When you think of the name Santa Claus who do imagine?"

The redhead scrunched her eyebrows, thinking the question over. "Um, you're big with a round belly and a huge beard."

"Vhat else?"

"A red suit and a sack full of toys."

"Stick with my appearance," North encouraged.

"…Merry dimples, red cheeks, and-"

"My eyes," North interjected. "Vhat about the eyes."

"Um," Bridget paused. Jack listened vigilantly. Boy he hoped she was going to say- "They're probably blue and big."

"Yes!" North beamed. "Big eyes. Very big! Because they are full of vonder. That is my center. It is vhat I was born with. Eyes that have always seen the vonder in everything! Eyes that see lights in the trees and magic in the air. This vonder is vhat I put into the world and vhat I protect in children. It is vhat makes me a Guardian. It is my center."

Bridget sighed in amazement from the speech. If anyone held the most Christmas spirit it was definitely North. Jack couldn't but smile at her reaction. Her gray eyes held so much joy when North explained his center. It almost made him wish he could do that-JINGLE.

The sound of a jingle bell interrupted his train of thought. The bell belonged to an elf that was carrying a teacup full of hot chocolate. The little guy brought it up to the table where Bridget placed her cup and poured in the drink. Not without trying to steal a sip of the drink, but before he could Bridget grabbed it in the last second.

"Thanks for warning me about the elves," she said to the Guardian of Wonder. "They must still have some of their previous instincts of being kleptomaniacs."

North laughed and nodded. "Yes them and their pointy heads are always underboot. Drives me mad half of the time."

Yaloo the yeti soon came into the room and in his paws held an object covered in cloth. He brought to North who gave the yeti a nod and thanked him. Yaloo stayed and started to grunt and make hand gestures at Bridget.

Bridget tilted her head in confusion. "Uh, North why is one of your yetis still here?"

"Yaloo is here because he apologizes for dragging you. You wearing hood made it hard to see it was a leetle girl."

Bridget smiled in understanding. "S' okay it's not the first time that happened. And it's fine Yaloo, I'm tougher than I look. No broken bones or anything." She then spoke in a serious tone. "But for the record I'm not a little girl." She crossed her arms before adding, "I just happen to be a little short for my age."

Jack chuckled. "Could've fooled me."

"Frosty! How long have you been in here?"

He frowned at the nickname but answered, "Up to Indiana North's adventures in Siberia, up to now."

North looked at the winter spirit kindly, "Jack you could have sit vith us if you had asked."

"I'm fine here."

Bridget sighed in annoyance. "Oh sure he's nice to you but all he does is teasing me."

North chuckled and suggested, "Yes but only towards pretty girls, no?"

Immediately both teens blushed like mad as they quickly denied such a thing. "Um, no I mean I'm flattered-" "She's just needed some help and-" "Alright, alright," North interrupted. "Now why don't we have a look at what Yaloo brought, yes?"

He unwrapped the silvery cloth and revealed a brand new long cane. It was black with a white and pink handle and a strap. When North handed it to Bridget she couldn't keep herself from smiling. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! The grip on this is amazing. It even has a strap. THANK YOU!"

North smiled. "Vould you like to try it out?"

The redhead nodded and did just that. When some of the yetis moved the furniture away Bridget walked around a few feet with the cane swaying side to side. Jack also couldn't keep himself from smiling. Helping Bridget get a new cane did help clear up his conscience.

North looked over at the world's clocks and saw what time Burgess was at. "It's almost thirty passed four."

Bridget's eyes widened in shock, "4:30? I didn't know I was here that long." She whipped her face near North's direction and said, "Sorry but it's late and Carol must be worried right now."

"Carol," both Guardians asked at once.

"Mrs. Bennett, Jamie's and Sophie's mom," Bridget explained. "I should've been home hours ago."

Jack held his cane up and said, "Relax I'll get you back home quicker then you'll realize."

Bridget made a face and shook her head. "Yeah I don't think I can do that again."

"Come on I haven't lost a passenger yet."

"Because I was the first."

"Actually Jamie was."

"Really?"

"Will you be off or not," North suddenly asked. "Nighttime is coming up here and with winter coming so will Burgess too."

Jack smiled sheepishly. "Right, uh, we DO need to be heading out now Bridget."

The redhead sighed, "I don't have much of a choice do I?"

Jack smirked. "Nope," he answered while making a big pop on the 'p.'

Reluctantly Bridget placed her new cane in her backpack and held out her arms. Jack took them and wrapped them around his neck and tried to keep his blush down. North stifled a chuckle before the boy glared at him.

"Oh wait," North called, stopping them from leaving. "Before you go, I wanted you to know Bridget of Burgess that you are #1234593 on Nice List."

Bridget's mouth dropped slightly before she recomposed herself. "Oh well, um, thank you for telling me?"

The Russian Cossack chuckled, "You're welcome and MERRY CHRISTMAS!" He yelled trough the wind as Jack carried Bridget up though the air and flew way down south.

The Guardian of Wonder had a knowing smile on his face as he watched the teenagers leave. Phil came over with another load of toys and noticed Jack and the nice girl had left. North glanced over and thought aloud. "I have feeling in belly ve'll see more of leetle girl in near future. Don't you Phil?"

Q-A: Does anyone else know how much fun it is to write North's dialogue? XD It's great! I can't wait to do the rest of the Guardians. Most of probably wondering where's all of the action and crazy crow lady now? Don't you guys worry next chapter is where we have some fighting. And it's not between Jack and Bridget. Don't worry.

And as for the story about the elves, I didn't make that up. That's from the original story of Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King. We'll be seeing more references to the book series later on. But it won't be confusing. At least I hope not.

Keep on Writin' and Rockin'