Jess moved around the Main Workshop meeting with each Department Head. She compared the designated checklist that Curtis had given her with the checklist the Department had on file and ensured all the bullet points lined up. About an hour later nearly all of the main departments had been cleared of their Christmas tasks and released to the prepare for the Christmas party. The Naughty and Nice room was one of the last departments on the list.
When Jess arrived in the Naughty and Nice department, she quickly breezed through the checklist and dismissed the Department Head. This wasn't much of a surprise to her as N &N had been running with minimal supervision for as long as even the oldest of elves could remember. Bernard was sat facing one of the screens in the naughty and nice room.
"How are Dad and Charlie doing?" Jess asked sitting down next to her husband.
"They're mostly on track, hit a little bit of trouble in Canada." Bernard answered. He looked away from his monitor at his wife. "So, I'm guessing by the fact that Jack and Holly are here that Charlie hasn't told them about the Frost Curse yet."
"I don't know. I haven't had time to ask Charlie yet." She answered. "But I assumed the same thing. I don't think they'd be so cheery if they knew what Jack was about to be up against. I feel like we should say something but…" Jess looked away from her husband to watch her two kids playing.
"I know Charlie is family, but the choices that Jack Frost makes are none of our concern." Bernard reminded her.
"I know." Jess sighed. "Doesn't mean I have to like it. Speaking of family, how are you doing with all of this?" Jess turned her full attention back to Bernard. She placed a hand on each of his shoulders and began massaging them.
"Fine." He lied. He then sighed a frustrated, signature Bernard sigh. "I'm afraid that saying any of it out loud will make it come true."
"Charlie's plan is a good plan." She insisted. "I know that after everything that happened with your own father and when you were trapped those two years without us…I know this is hard and scary not knowing what's going to happen after tonight. But as soon as Charlie puts the coat on everything will be fine. Even if everyone else forgets when Charlie takes over, you and I will still remember. We can retell everyone if we have to. It might take a while, but we've always found a way to keep the family together." Bernard put one of his hands over Jess' on his shoulder and gave it a soft squeeze. He got to his feet and kissed his wife.
"I think that's enough doom and gloom this Christmas." He decided. "I don't want to be the reason the Number Two elf missing the annual Christmas party."
"Could you imagine if I missed Curtis' Post-Christmas speech?" Jess laughed. "I'd never hear the end of it. When I was Number Two I never missed any speech Bernard made." She attempted to imitate Curtis. "Nickie, Noelie, you want to go see everyone at the party?"
"Will Auntie Judy be there?" Nicholas asked.
"And Uncle Q?" Noel followed up.
"It's the Christmas Party, everyone will be there." Jess promised.
Meanwhile in the kitchens, Holly and Lucy had been working together to construct a large gingerbread model of the North Pole. Jack was helping of course. He'd assigned himself the task of making snow. Judy was also keeping the icing flowing to make sure that there was plenty to complete the project.
"Well, Hol, it looks like you've finally found someone who can match your ambitious designs." Jack told his sister with a smile.
"Baking is more of a hobby for me." Lucy said. She was outlining some of the castle windows with icing. "Nothing compared to what you two can do."
"You know Lucy, now that Jack is going to be otherwise employed, I'm going to be short a baker." Holly told her. "If you want baking to be more than a hobby, I'm sure we could work something out."
"That's nice of you to offer." Lucy was taken by surprise. "But I'm not sure I'm qualified to…"
"I've worked in kitchens my whole life." Holly disagreed. "Even before I took the bakery over from my parents, I worked in restaurants here and there. Head chefs like Judy don't let anyone occupy space in their kitchen unless they trust you completely. I have no doubt that Jack and I are only allowed in here because you are in Judy's good graces."
"I try to run a pretty open kitchen." Judy commented as she mixed more icing. "But all of the Calvins are welcome in here anytime. Lucy especially, has she told you the story of how she saved Christmas?"
"I was ten." Lucy shrugged. "Even Charlie had helped saved Christmas at least once by that age."
"It's more Christmases than I've saved." Jack interjected. "We have to hear this story!"
"Ok, well I'm not sure I remember it all. Judy, Abby, feel free to jump in at any point. It was Christmas 2006." Lucy recalled. "There was a lot happening that year. Carol was pregnant with Buddy, and she was really homesick. Uncle Scott had made arrangements for her parents to come visit. Bernard wasn't Bernard. He still had his memory loss from falling off the roof."
"That was the last Jack Frost who did that, right?" Holly remembered from her last visit at the North Pole.
"Yes. He'd been ordered by the council to do community service and help the North Pole get ready for Christmas." Lucy told explained. "He's the one I had to save Christmas from."
While Lucy and the Greens were getting to know each other better, Charlie and Scott were making their deliveries. The past decade and a half they'd spent delivering gifts together meant their final Christmas Eve together as Santa and son was going perfectly. (Except for a little bit of trouble in Canada, but they weren't going to mention that to anyone.)
"Where to next, Sport?" Scott asked as he climbed into the sleigh.
"Looks like Ireland." Charlie answered back.
"You know, I wish Buddy had come with us." Scott sighed as the reindeer took off for their next destination. "It's my last Christmas as Santa. I would have liked to have all my kids on the sleigh with me. It was always going to be a long shot with Jessie, she never liked fly but when Buddy was little, he used to love the sleigh just like you."
"He's just a teenager, Dad." Charlie assured him. "Remember what I was like at that age?"
"Boy do I!" Scott laughed. "It doesn't even feel like it was that long ago."
"It's just a phase that Buddy is going through. He's just trying to figure out who he is and it's hard for him to do that here. It will be good for him to have some time away from the Pole. When he changes his mind, the Pole will still be here. I might even let you have the jacket back." Charlie teased.
"I always imagined I'd give the coat to you, you know." Scott told him. "Maybe not that very first Christmas because I thought all that was a dream, but the second Christmas when Bernard brought me, you and Jessie back with him. I didn't know how long a person is Santa for, but I knew that if I was ever going to retire, I wanted it to be you who filled my boots."
"You've never told me that before." Charlie said. "I-I mean I always hoped you pick me but Buddy being born at the Pole and all I thought maybe you'd want him to…"
"If it weren't for you, I never would have become Santa." Scott reminded him. "Do you remember that first year? You were the one who first heard something on the roof. You were the one who asked me to take a look outside. You were the one who helped me to see who I really was. If it weren't for you, I never would have become Santa in the first place. If I never became Santa, Jessie and Bernard don't end up together. Neil and your mom, they don't stay together either…"
"Luckily you did become Santa and all those good things did happen." Charlie said.
"My point, Sport, is that you've always been an important part of this family and no matter what happens after tonight, I know that I can always count on Charlie Calvin to make the right choice." Scott told him. "There's no one else who could wear the suit with as much pride as I know you will."
A/N: A New update and it hasn't been 7 months this time! Thank you to Starrat & Ghostwriter for your reviews of Chapter 15! And a big thank you to everyone for favoriting, following, reading and enjoying the story so far!