A/N: Before St. Nick was St. Nick, he was North, Nicholas St. North, a daredevil swordsman, ruffian, and notorious outlaw. His prowess with weaponry of all kinds was infamous and he sought riches and treasure at all costs. Hardly hero material.

'But heroes are not born—they're tested.'

When real villains enter the scene in the shifting shape of Pitch and his dreaded Fearlings, North finds a different use for his famed fighting abilities. Here, in this first in a series of epic Guardian adventures, meet the legendary St. Nick. You've known about him for years, but, it turns out, you don't really know him at all.

^I got this from wikia. I don't claim ownership.

Also, I apologized for the lack of uh activity. Senior in College. Busy happens. But yeah, I'll always try to not abandon my works.

^_^ A smile can save a life

Clausen and Faireé

*o*Sidestory Two*o*

He didn't want to do it anymore, he couldn't deal with it no longer. He wanted to call it quits. It was all right for a while, maybe he even found it fun. But enough was enough. Even a scoundrel like him knew his limits.

Let's back up for a moment here.

Nicholas North Clausen was a notorious Russian outlaw. His infamous reputation attracted the attention of the most dominant mafia in all of Russia, which was led by a man named Rasputin. Normally, the members all wore green suits. But since North seemed to be one of the largest ones around, they let him where a robe.

The man was also a famed daredevil, and very well adept in handling swords, his favorite to use being his twin blades. Not to mention he was handy with other weapons as well. Being left in the streets to fend of himself, North did everything to get through. He worked for them faithfully for years. It made getting all the loot and treasure he wanted easier, not to mention the luxuries. Growing up with nothing, North was adamant in making sure he wouldn't be like that as an adult.

Things changed when he met Katherine, however.

The Russian mafia took her as a new recruit. An orphan who escaped the work house she was designated to work at after she passed the age to remain at an actual orphanage. Living life at the streets hardened her, but the fact still remained that she was a child.

At first, North found her annoying, like any other pestering, cheeky uncouth brat. But as they shared more assignments, and with North's keen observation, he saw lapses and realized the child she was, how vulnerable Katherine still was. This drove him to become a bit more protective. She was the youngest one of them after all.

Then, it happened that in one operation, it was declared MISSION FAILED and they were retreating the HQ of a Mafia headed by Drago and Gothel. Katherine was shot at the leg, and before North could go back for her, the other retreating men of the Russian mafia was rushing on board their retreat speed boat, preventing North from returning to the beach. His last glimpses of the girl, she was being shot continously and mercilessly by Drago's men that pursued them.

North had a big fight with Rasputin once they arrived back to the Russian mafia HQ. It got so bad, Rasputin declared mutiny. For his escape, North crashed out the nearest glass window, and a snowbank. He rushed through the woods, where he was immediately pursued. He got shot near his arm, and just so he wouldn't be captured, he dove right into the coursing of a raging river.

When he came to, it was the afternoon of the following day. He found himself in a remote area, at some kind of campsite. He was in a tent. And the first person he saw took his breath away.

And captured his heart.

She called herself Thiana Faireé, the young lady who helped nursed him and bandaged his wounds. Her facial structure made it plain that she was indeed a lady, but her petite height just made North think of a child, and in turn, made him think of Katherine.

The young girl scarred the man deeply. But Thiana accepted him, scars and all.

North found out that the campsite was set up by another secret group. But not another mafia. Rather, they were a silent, unofficial group of previous victims from different mafias. Building their numbers, people and funds, until the point they can set up their own organization.

Being a former member of Rasputin's mafia, it took a while for people to trust him. But Thiana stuck by him all through the way, and combined with him training them with what knowledge he had, it came that even Thiana's half-brother, Aster, trusted and believed in him, to be the suited leader of their now official organization.

With the people they now had and some connections, they purchased enough gizmos and gadgets to start off. When more people were rescued and joining in, like the Hoffersons, they developed more hi-tech weapons to be at par with the mafias.

North and Thiana started developing feelings for each other and they made it work despite their busy schedules. Although he went into missions himself, as peaceable as Thiana was she remained part of intel and sometimes worked at the medical ward with the young orphaned Hamadas.

It made her desire her own family. But with the secrecy and the importance of remained under the radar, not to mention North being infertile, the best they planned for was a private wedding ministered by one of the working scientists.

Then, came the darkest Times of North's. Even worse than when he watched Katherine die. A week after their wedding day and honeymoon, Tooth somehow gets captured during a kidnap recovery mission. They got the kidnapped, the younger Hamada boy, and the kidnapper. But in turn, Thiana got captured.

It took a few days to find her whereabouts, and it sickened North to discover that she was captured by the Nightmares.

The leader of the DGs lost his sense of reason, and charged in to enemy territory. He came to a stand-off between North and Drago in the same room where a nude and barely breathing Thiana was held captive in. If it hadn't been for Aster's quick and careful planning, they might've lost both North and Thiana that day.

But they did lose a part of Thiana ever since then.

In the process of torturing Thiana for information, she was brutally raped. A miracle they got to her in time. Even meeting with a therapist within HQ, it took her a while to recover. She wouldn't even let North touch her till a month passed, but it was simple hand holding, nothing more. It was difficult for everyone, not just North, the therapist, Dr. Delbert Doppler, himself stated that Thiana had to deal with it herself and in her own pace, no matter how slow.

They never knew what Thiana thought she had to do to deal with it till much later.

But what helped it along, was North's dedication and love that paved her road to recovery. Even when they realized she was expecting, even when it was supposedly Drago's child, North promised he'd accept the baby, for it would first and foremost be Thiana's baby.

When the baby was born, it was prematurely. Still, he was so beautiful and lovely, they didn't see a trace of Drago's appearance at all. Due to the premature timing, however, there was a lacking of coloring pigment, so only the hair near the baby's roots were Thiana's brown, but the longer the strands it got, the rest of it were white, like snow. They liked it however, it made him special, unique. Which he was. Even his eyes, strangely enough, were close to North's blue. Thiana supposed it was from a great granfather or something. They named him Jackson Clausen. With the nature of their job, however, they couldn't find free time to get the child an official birth certificate.

They never got a chance.

If there was one thing Thiana feared most was that Drago could find out about her baby, their baby technically, and try to take him to take over the Nightmare mafia in some kind of partnership with his other child, Pitch, for long when both he and Gothel were gone. And she couldn't bear that thought.

So sneaking into the group assigned to stake out and go undercover the Nightmares HQ when Jack had been three years old, she managed to get Drago alone before revealing herself.

But she couldn't pull the trigger.

She couldn't kill.

Not even Drago, despite what he's done.

To her and many others.

When things went awry and North along with Aster and some others came in for back up, it had been too late. Gothel got to her first, and there wasn't anything left for him to do except take the body for proper burial.

After that, North stayed and worked in the DGs only to apprentice a newcomer, Valeria Karmen Haddock who nicknamed herself Valka. During that time, North had sent Sandy, another fairly new member which most mafias wouldn't recognize as a DG yet, to bring Jackson to Burgess Local orphanage to keep him safe and hidden, giving a fake birth certificate with the name Jackson Overland.

After six months since Thiana's death, Valka stepped up as the DGs new leader and North retired, in an attempt to start a normal life.

Playing it safe, however, North borrowed funds from the DGs to purchase several home from different places of the country, customizing secret passages and escape ways for a couple of years just incase anyone looking would discover his real identity.

When he deemed it safe, North decided it was time for the long overdued reunion with his son. Thiana's child.

"Jack, there's someone here who wants to meet you."

Fourteen year old Jackson looked up from the children's book he was reading to the younger orphans, blinking in wonder. "Uh, what... Did I do now?"

Ms. Mildred smiled, amusement in her eyes. "I don't know, Jack, you tell me."

"I swear I didn't prank anyone this time," Jack held his hands up in defense. "... well, not enough to cause injuries at least." he said under his breath.

A young five year old blond with spiky hair and large framed glasses shook Jack's arm. "Maybe someone wants to adopt you, Jack."

Jack doubted that, "I don't know, Lewis. You know how hard it is for a teenager to get adopted."

Even though only five, Lewis was one of the smart kids he knew. So he was sure Lewis was aware of that fact.

"Well, regardless, he ask for you personally. So you should go see him," Mildred waved a finger at him. "And I expect you to be on your best behavior. No pranks."

Jack shrugged, getting on his feet. He ruffled the hair of several kids before heading out the nursery and down the steps to the parlor.

He saw a large man in a red ugly sweater sitting on a couch by the fire place. If it weren't near christmas he'd judge his choice of clothing. But since it was, Jack liked the guy immediately, seeing him participating in the spirit of the holidays.

"Hello there, sir. You wanted to see me?"

The man jolted, as if Jack intruded when he was deep in thought. He stared at the teenager, with some kind of wonder in his eyes. Jack, in turn, stared back curiously, feeling some kind of connection to him. Looking closely, Jack could see some scars on the man's face. He wondered if the man had more hidden by thw long-sleeved sweater and underneath his pants.

Jack can see that somehow, the man seemed broken. Something happened, whether to him or someone important, the teenager couldn't say. Jack had this inkling, this feeling, that that was why the man was here.

Then, the man seemed to have broken from his thoughts.

"O-oh, sorry, excuse me. How rude," he cleared his throat. "Hello, I- my name is Nicholas North Clausen. You can call me North." he introduced.

Jack smiled, offering his hand. "Nice to meet you then, North. I'm Jack-" he trailed off as North reached for his hand and was suddenly pulled into his embrace.

"Yes. Hello, Jack. It's... It's great to meet you."

Jack was confused, but didn't say a thing. He figured the man was going through something. For whatever reason, maybe meeting Jack was a way to get over it. It was strange, however. The teenager was never embraced this way by anyway before, not even by Mildred. There were hugs, sure. But this felt... different.

A good different.

He heard Lewis in his mind. "Maybe someone wants to adopt you, Jack."

And Jack thought, the possibility was a little less doubtful.

A/N: weee! New chapter at long last! Hope there are still readers please review if ever. :D