Hello everyone! I hope everyone's holidays have been going great so far! Thank you so much to anyone who reviewed, followed, or even just read this story. I hope you enjoyed last chapter. Here's chapter three. It gave me a little trouble at the beginning, which is why it took me a little longer to write than I originally thought it would. It's also a lot longer than I expected it to be!
I do want to go ahead and state that the view Scott Calvin has on therapy and Counseling in NO WAY reflect my own . We all know Scott's character doesn't really understand therapy, I mean, how often does he make jokes about it in the movies? But I'm not in any way trying to push the idea that there's anything wrong with it.
Let me know your thoughts on this chapter if you want! Now, sit back and enjoy the next chapter of our story! :)
Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Santa Clause series.
3. February '96
Scott groans, rolling over onto his back and staring up through the near total darkness towards the ceiling of his bedroom. It takes him a moment to pull his mind out of the deep fog of sleep and when he does he realizes what woke him. There are muffled voices coming from somewhere near him. He squints at the puppet stage to his left, and from what little streetlight is sneaking its way passed the thick velvet curtains hanging over the balcony doors, he can see it's empty. The magical puppets are still gone to wherever they disappear to when the magic inside them stills and falls asleep for the night. Scott frowns and sits up. He knows that if the puppets aren't awake yet it must be very early.
Now that he's a little more alert, he can hear that the muffled noise is coming from right outside his bedroom door. It sounds like voices— two of them— and they're arguing. Scott swings his feet around so they're hanging off the edge of the bed and slides them into his slippers. He shuffles slowly across the room, stepping carefully down the one step on the raised platform his bed sits on. He stops at the door, reaching towards the doorknob, but his hand freezes when he hears his name.
"Santa won't care if we wake him up to ask. You're supposed to wake him up anyway."
"Not while he's on vacation. You know we leave Santa alone the first three months of the year so he's rested and ready for when the workshop is running at full capacity. And that won't happen if you're waking him up at the crack of dawn, Curtis!"
"Oh, it's one day Bernard. Besides, Mother Nature said she needs an answer soon so they can finish preparations."
"I don't care if it's just 'one day;' he's on vacation. And he's probably going to say no anyway, so there's no point in trying to rush and wake him up. None of the Santas have ever gone. Who would want to?"
Curiosity piqued, Scott reaches for the doorknob again and swings the heavy wooden door open. Bernard and Curtis blink up at him in surprise, and Scott suddenly wonders how heavy of sleepers the Santas before him were for the boys in front of him not to realize arguing in full volume right outside his bedroom would wake him. His yawns widely, mostly to emphasize how early it is, and then pins the elves with an amused- and honestly, very tired- look. "Can I help you boys with something?"
They stare up at him for a long moment, and then Bernard rounds on Curtis, irritation plain as day in his bright brown eyes. "Look what you did, Curtis!"
"Me? You were the one who was shouting!"
"I told you to leave him alone."
"Mother Nature wanted-"
"She didn't need an answer right this second. We could have gotten it later today!"
"No, she said she'd like an answer some time this morning!"
"Well-"
"Guys!" Scott interrupts. Both boy's mouths clamp shut as they turn to face him again. "What's going on?"
Bernard lets out a sigh and then motions into the room. "May we come in, sir?"
Scott steps to the side so both boys can pass him. Bernard walks over to the workbench near the bed and pulls the thin gold chain of the table lamp, casting them all into a soft warm light. It's still bright enough that Scott has to squint his eyes some until they adjust to the new lighting. The Head Elf plops down onto the chair there, leaning back so it's just on two legs as he faces his boss.
"Curtis wanted to come see if you were awake, even though it isn't necessary-"
"Is too!"
"Is not. Anyway, we need to talk to you about the Valentines Day meeting the Legendary Figures are having soon."
"Valentine's Day meeting?" Scott asks.
Bernard nods. "Yea. Cupid is a Holiday Legendary Figure like you, and Valentine's Day is his holiday. So just like Christmas normally, there's a meeting at the beginning of the month to see how his preparations are going and if he needs any help."
"There's usually a meeting before a holiday? We didn't have one this past Christmas."
"That's because it was your first Christmas after putting on the suit. Mother Nature likes to give the new Santa some space his first Christmas so he doesn't feel overwhelmed."
"Makes sense," Scott says. He turns to Curtis, who is leaning against the wall close to the balcony doors. "Curtis you were going to say something about Mother Nature. What was it?"
"She wants to know if you're going to be attending the Valentines Day meeting."
"Aren't I supposed to? I mean, I'm a Legendary Figure right, it's part of my job to attend those meetings."
"You don't have to because it takes place during your vacation," Bernard says.
Curtis nods. "Mother Nature likes to ask if Santa wants to come though, and she sent a message first thing this morning for us to see if you were going or not. The meeting is this Saturday so she wants to finalize preparations."
Scott worries his lip as he thinks about it. He was planning on heading back down to Laura and Neil's today after breakfast. Not only because he wants to see Charlie again, the boy's basketball tryouts were soon and Scott had promised to practice with him this week, but also because Scott had finally gotten hold of his real estate agent and he needed to meet with him about selling his townhouse. Also, the court ordered family counseling starts this week and he knows Laura will tear him a new one if he doesn't go with them to that. He's already so busy, it probably won't hurt to go to the Legendary Figures' meeting too.
"Go ahead and tell Mother Nature I'll be there."
Bernard falls forward, the other chair legs hitting the ground with a thwack, his mouth dropping open in disbelief. "A-are you sure? No Santa ever goes. And you're on vacation, boss. You're supposed to be relaxing."
Scott waves his hand in the air, brushing off the elf's concerns. "It's fine, I'm used to it. I got called into meetings on my days off at the toy company all the time."
"That's not a good thing to be used to. It's important to take time off and relax. Especially up here. The North Pole can get pretty hectic and stressful. You should take advantage of your time off while you have the chance."
"Bernard, really, it's fine. I'm not gonna be relaxing too much this weekend anyway. I've got family counseling and that meeting about my townhouse. If I'm going to be busy anyway I might as well go to the Valentines Day meeting too."
"You won't be ready for the rest of the year if you don't take your time off seriously." the Head Elf argues.
"Yes I will. I made it through last year with no problems, and last year was pretty stressful."
"Didn't you get arrested?" Curtis asks.
"I meant up here." Scott grumbles.
"Being up here for the whole year is a lot different than just the last month." Bernard says.
"I can handle it. Curtis, go send word to Mother Nature that I'll be attending. I'm going to go ahead and get ready to head down to Laura and Neil's. No point in waiting around since I'm already awake. Bernard, can you ask someone to get Comet ready for me?"
Bernard lets out a sigh, but nods his head and stands up. Scott can tell by his face that the boy is aggravated he's going to go to the meeting, but he's glad he's not going to argue anymore. "I'll come get you on Saturday so Comet doesn't have to fly all the way to Rome."
"Thanks, buddy. I appreciate it."
A couple hours later, Scott and Comet land in the Miller's backyard. Scott removes his old leather luggage bag from the reindeer's back and gives his friend a gentle pat on the neck. Comet hums contently and then starts busying himself with digging at the snow covered ground with his front right hoof.
"Dad!"
Scott turns around to see Charlie running out the back door, still wearing his favorite cowboy pajamas and his feet shoved into a pair of yellow and black snow boots. He laughs when Charlie leaps at him, catching the boy in his arms and hefting him up so he could balance his son on his hip. "I thought you were going to your Gran's place today?"
"Gran said she had to help out at the rec center today, so I went yesterday instead." Charlie explains.
"Scott?" he hears Laura call from the door. He turns towards her and nods his head in greeting, noticing Neil waving from beside her. "Hey! We weren't expecting you until this afternoon."
"Yea, sorry about being so early. Bernard and Curtis woke me up at the crack of dawn so I thought I'd just go ahead and come down."
"Who are Curtis and Bernard?" Neil asks, motioning for Scott to come inside. Scott sets Charlie down and then follows his son back into the house. The kitchen smells like the Miller's typical Sunday breakfast; eggs, bacon, and chocolate chip pancakes. The table is still covered with the family's untouched plates. It seems Scott had interrupted their late meal. Laura motions for him to sit at the table with them, grabbing an extra plate from the cupboard as Neil pours himself and Scott a cup of coffee.
"Bernard's the elf that came to the house on Christmas Eve, remember? You said he was your Head Elf, is that right, Scott?" Laura says
Scott nods, taking the plate from her as she sits back down and then starts loading it up with food. "Yea, he's my Head Elf. Curtis is another elf at the workshop. He's pretty much Bernard's right hand man."
"How come I never met him?" Charlie asks as he starts digging into his pancakes.
"Bernard had him pretty busy doing other things while you were staying up there, sport, but you can meet him the next time you come up to the pole to stay."
"Why'd they wake you up so early?" Laura wonders, pouring a heavy dose of creamer into her own coffee before taking a sip.
"Oh, they just needed to ask me something. But I hate going back to bed after I'm awake so I figured I'd just head your way. Hope you don't mind."
"Not at all," Neil says, smiling. "We can all have a nice breakfast together before we head into town for family counseling."
They have a nice, relaxing meal, Scott grinning as Charlie catches him up on everything that's happened at School since Scott last saw him. The boy goes on for quite a while about how excited he is for basketball tryouts, and Scott promises to spend every evening after homework this week helping him practice shooting at the hoop Neil put up above the garage door. After breakfast, Laura sends Charlie up to brush his teeth and get ready for their appointment. Scott goes out to feed Comet while Laura and Neil get ready as well, and then they all pile into Laura's minivan.
The office for their counselor is a plain, gray brick building with a shiny metal sign on the front listing the names of the doctors who work in the building. Neil's face lights up when they arrive and he immediately starts rambling about their doctor as Laura tries to find a place to park on the street. Apparently, Dr. Sanchez is very well respected, and she keeps up to date with any new techniques on strengthening the family unit. Scott groans in annoyance as Neil talks, Laura shushing him and telling him not to act that way at the appointment.
They head into the building, Neil going up to the receptionist to ask for their new patient paperwork and Scott and the others finding seats next to a small bookcase crammed with books. Most are just children's books, but there are a few self-help and fiction novels for adults. There's a small black stereo sitting on top of the bookcase, soft jazz music playing from the speakers. Charlie starts looking through the books when Neil comes back, handing Scott his own set of paper work. The adults work quietly filling out the questions about medical and family history and to show he'll be a good sport about all of this, Scott even volunteers to get up and hand it back to the receptionist. Their names get called quickly, there's only one other family in the office, and so they meet the doctor at the hallway to the back part of the building and follow her to her office.
She's a short, stocky woman with a kind smile and her dark hair pulled back into a long, single braid. Her office is painted an off white color and there is a circle of squishy armchairs in mix-matched colors taking up the majority of the room. They take their seats as the doctor grabs a pen and note book from a table by one of the chairs, before taking a seat herself. She gives them all a friendly smile once everyone is settled. "Hello, I am Dr. Alma Sanchez. Today, I thought we should just focus on getting to know one another. And then after that I'd like to go over some concerns the judge had, and see how you all feel about them. Why don't each of you introduce yourself and then tell me what you'd like to get out of this experience."
"Alright," Neil says after an awkward pause. "I'm Dr. Neil Miller and for me, well, I'm really hoping for the four of us to get closer as a family."
Laura waits as Dr. Sanchez scribbles down what Neil said into her notebook. "I'm Laura Miller, Neil's wife and Scott's ex-wife- I didn't know if you were aware of that yet or not- and I'd like for the three of us to learn how to co-parent better."
"Very nice to meet you both," the counselor says. She gives Charlie a smile. "And what about you young man? Would you like to tell me your name?"
"Charlie Calvin."
"Nice to meet you, Charlie. Did your parent's explain to you what counseling is and why you're here?"
"Neil did. He said it's supposed to help us get along with each other and work together."
"That is our goal. Is that what you'd like to happen?"
"Yea. I like it when Mom and Dad and Neil are friends."
Scott feels his lips twitch up into a smile at that. He knows Charlie has really enjoyed how much time all of them have spent together since Laura and Neil accepted that Scott was Santa Claus. And the fact that he and Laura hadn't really fought at all since Christmas Eve must have been a nice change for Charlie. Scott feels guilty about how often they would pick at each other until an argument started, and how often they would do it in front of their son. He really does want to get better at that, because he knows it's not fair to Charlie. He shouldn't have to watch his parents argue all the time.
He sees the counselor turn to him with a patient, but expectant look. Scott takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he tries to keep his annoyance at being made to attend counseling squashed down so it won't show on his face. "Uh, my name is Scott... Scott Calvin and I'd like... I guess I want the same things as Laura and Neil."
"You guess, Scott?" Dr. Sanchez asks.
"Yea..."
"Are you not sure if that's what you want, or maybe do you want something else but are afraid to say it?"
"No, I'm not afraid to say anything," Scott fidgets in his seat. He knows his irritation is seeping into his tone, but he can't help it. He hates this kind of stuff. "Can- can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"What's the point of all of this, honestly?"
"Scott!" Laura chides.
"What? I'm serious. I get we all need to work on not fighting with each other so much, believe me, I do. But do we really need counseling? We were doing alright without it. I just don't think it's necessary now."
"Do you really think everything was alright before, Scott?" Dr. Sanchez asks.
"Yea, for the most part."
"Really? Didn't you just have an enormous misunderstanding in December? One so bad the police had to get involved?"
"Well... yes."
"Is that the only time the three of you have had problems co-parenting?"
"No..."
"'No.' Scott, my job here isn't to judge you, or tell you you're doing a bad job. I am only here to help. I truly want to help you become stronger as a family, to help you grow. But I can't do that if everyone involved isn't willing to give this a try. You have to at least try and benefit from this experience for it to work. I know not everyone believes in therapy, but a lot of families have gotten help from counseling. Give this a shot. I think you'll be happy with the outcome if you do."
The appointment was only an hour, but to Scott it felt like days had passed. He did do as the counselor asked. He tried. He spoke up when asked a question, and he listened whenever Dr. Sanchez offered advice to something Laura or Neil or even Charlie had said. He knows he probably could have participated a little more, but baby steps are better than nothing, he supposes. After the appointment he walks back to the car with the others, sliding the little card with their next appointment date written on it into his inside jacket pocket. Scott tells them he'll take a cab back to the house later, because he still has to meet with his real estate agent. Laura offers to drop him off, but he says no. It's still pretty cold out, and there's still a lot of snow on the ground, but the sun is out so Scott tells them he feels like walking the few blocks to the real estate office. Scott offers to bring lunch back with him after his meeting. Laura and Neil thank him, and then Charlie gives him a hug goodbye before jumping into the car. Scott waves them off and then crosses the street so he can start heading towards his next destination. The meeting isn't for another half an hour, so he has plenty of time. Which is good, he thinks, because he has a lot on his mind and he's always liked to take walks when he has things he needs to sort through.
He can't stop thinking about what Dr. Sanchez had asked him, about if they'd had problems co-parenting before. If he was honest, Laura and his' abilities to work as a team had been pretty awful after the divorce. And it was even worse after her marriage to Neil. Scott thinks that was really his fault though, because he'd been kind of jealous that Laura had been able to move on so fast. Not that he still wanted to be married to her; he knows they didn't work as a couple. It's just that he's never been good at relationships and he's always been a little jealous that Laura was. Scott thinks that maybe he took that jealousy out on the Millers. Which wasn't fair to them, and it certainly wasn't fair to Charlie. He still doesn't really buy into the whole idea of therapy, but he supposes Dr. Sanchez was right when she said he needed to at least try.
A car horn honks somewhere near him, snapping him from his thoughts. Scott looks up and sees he's standing in front of his real estate agent's office building. He checks his watch. He's about five minutes early, but he knows that won't be a problem. He walks up the steps and enters the building, the little bell above the door jingling sweetly. The receptionist, a young blonde woman with a face full of freckles whose name Scott can't remember looks up at him. Scott gives her a friendly greeting and then lets her know about his meeting. Before she can even ask him to take a seat though, the door to the office swings open, a portly, balding man standing in the doorway.
"Scott!" he calls, cheerily.
"Louie!" Scott greets him just as enthusiastically, walking over so he can shake the man's hand.
Louis "Louie" Williams-Brown is perhaps one of Scott's favorite people. Even in his late fifties, the man has as much energy and enthusiasm as a kid who just woke up on Christmas morning and has spotted all the presents left under the tree. He met Louie four years ago after his divorce from Laura, when he'd been trying to find a place to live that would have plenty of space for him and Charlie when he came to visit. Louie had quickly become a friend to Scott. The man was always ready with a cheesy joke or sound advice when you needed it and the way he could just light up any room he walked into was so refreshing. Scott thinks his favorite thing about Louie though, is his choice in clothes. Though the man preferred to always wear some sort of dark colored suit, the brightly printed shirts and obnoxious clashing ties he wore with them were the perfect way to express his exuberant personality. Today's shirt is an eye-watering yellow with little potted cacti printed on it and the tie is green with cartoon dinosaurs.
"Come in, come in. It's so good to see you. How've you been?" Louie says, waving him into the room.
"Good." Scott answers, plopping down into a comfortable leather chair. Louie shuts the door behind them and then sits at his own high-backed chair across from Scott. "Pretty busy. You?"
"Just swell. The missus and me had a great vacation. Which reminds me, sorry it took me so long to get back to you. You know Loretta doesn't like it when I try and work when we're away."
"Oh, it's fine Louie. You don't have to apologize. I completely understand."
"Still, I appreciate you being patient. I do have to say, Scott, I was surprised when I got your message. I thought you loved that townhouse I found for you."
"I did- or I do. It's just, I got a new job out of state so I'm moving. I don't need it anymore."
"Really? Where are you moving to?"
Scott pauses for a second, trying to think up a lie. "C-Canada."
Louie blinks at him in surprise. "Wow, that's a little farther than out of state. How's Charlie feel about you being so far away?"
"Oh, he's fine with it. We talked about it and I'm going to try and come see him as often as I can and he can come see me during his breaks from school."
"Well, good. Glad to hear that." Scott notices Louie fidgeting with the end of his tie. "Scott... can I be honest with you about something?"
"Of course, Louie..."
The older man lets out a deep sigh. "I'm a little worried about finding local buyers for your house right now."
"Why?"
"Well, with that whole thing that happened over Thanksgiving and Christmas with you and Laura, I'm not sure how many people are going to be interested in buying your townhouse."
Scott feels his mouth drop open in shock. It takes him a moment to find his words. "H-how do you even know about what happened?"
"Scott, it was all over the local news. Everyone in town knows about it. It's all anyone really talked about during the holidays."
"It was all just a big misunderstanding! Laura and I are fine. We've talked about it."
"And I am very glad to hear that." Louie gives him a friendly smile. "I know you. I knew you wouldn't do anything that might hurt Charlie in anyway. Still, it might be harder to find buyers right now. I'm not saying it'll be impossible to sell, but it might take some time. But don't you worry! I'm going to get you the best offer possible. Promise!"
"Thanks, Louie." Scott says, forcing his lips up into a smile.
Scott stays with Laura and Neil for the rest of the week. He doesn't really feel like leaving the house too much after his talk with Louie, so he busies himself with helping Laura around the house and helping Charlie practice his free throws so he'll be ready for basketball tryouts. At Charlie's age, every kid will be put on the team no matter how well they do, but Charlie still wants to make a good impression. All throughout the week though, Scott can't keep his mind off of what Louie had told him, about how everyone in town knew about last December. He doesn't think it bothers him that people might not think the best of him right now, but he does worry that it might be affecting Charlie in some way. He just can't believe he never considered that people might know about it. He wonders if people believe that it was all just a misunderstanding. He's glad Louie did, at least. When Saturday comes, Scott is still a little preoccupied with his thoughts, but he does try to hide it around Charlie, who is bouncing around the house in excitement at how well his tryouts had gone the evening before. Scott's just finishing up the last of the lunch dishes when the doorbell rings. He calls to Laura that he'll get it and then walks to the front door, wiping off his hands on the front of his pants.
When he opens the door, he's surprised to see his Head Elf standing there, heavy brown coat shut tight to block out the wind and green velvet hat pulled low to cover the tips of his pointed ears.
"Bernard?"
"Hey, boss. How was your week?"
"Uh, good. Why are you ringing the doorbell? You could have just popped in."
Scott steps aside so Bernard can come inside the house. The elf kicks the snow from his boots and then walks inside, looking around the Miller's home with interest. "It would be rude to just teleport into someone's home."
"You didn't have a problem being rude last year," Scott wonders.
"Oh, I never knock or anything that first year. I've had too many new Santas slam the door in my face. It's just easier to pop in until they come to terms with the transformation."
"I guess that makes sense... Wait, what are you doing here anyway. Is something wrong at the workshop? Because I have Comet with me, you didn't need to come get me."
Bernard blinks at him in confusion. "You said you wanted to go to the Valentines Day meeting. I told you I was going to pick you up before it, remember?"
"Oh, silver bells," Scott groans, running a hand over his face. "I'm sorry, I completely forgot about the meeting. Give me minute to go get ready for it."
"Sure," Bernard says. He pulls a velvet bag from his pocket and hands it to Scott. "Your suit's in there."
Scott leaves Bernard in the hallway so he can go get changed in the guestroom. He can't believe he forgot about the meeting. Part of him doesn't want to go, but he's already agreed to come, and he does want to get to know the other Legendary Figures a little more. He changes into the red suit and coat quickly, tying the sash a little messily as walks back into the hallway. Charlie is standing there with the Head Elf now, and it sounds like he's telling the older boy all about his basketball tryouts and the team he's going to be on. Charlie looks over at Scott as the guestroom door closes, the smile that's been on his face all day dipping down into a frown at the sight of his dad.
"Why are you all dressed up in your suit, Dad? You're not leaving are you?"
Scott walks over and ruffles his son's hair. "Afraid so, sport. I have a meeting I have to go to. But I'll be back in a couple hours."
"Do you have to go?" Charlie's voice is full of disappointment.
"Hey, don't feel down, Charlie. I'll be bringing him back soon." Bernard says, smiling at the boy. "And he'll be back to see you again before his vacation is over."
"Okay." Charlie looks up at Scott and gives him a small smile. "See you later, Dad."
Bernard teleports him to Rome a few moments later. It's a little warmer here than it is in Illinois, but it's still cold enough that Scott is glad he's wearing his heavy red coat. They're standing beside a large stone building. Scott turns around and sees the street behind him is nearly empty. Bernard ushers him around the corner to the entrance, telling him that, though Cupid's magic keeps the house and his guests invisible from the humans in the area, it's safer not to linger outside. They walk inside and enter a beautiful atrium. The floors are made of bright marble and there is a clear blue pool of water right in the center, under an opening in the ceiling that lets in all the light from the sun above them. The walls are all painted with colorful frescoes, some just of nature scenes, others with all sorts of animals and even a few fauns dancing together. Near the pool of water there is an impressive statue of an olive tree, the tops of the stone branches brushing the ceiling. Bernard takes a few steps into the atrium, before stopping and pointing towards a room off to the side.
"The meeting's in the dining room there. I'll be back in a few hours to pick you up."
"You're not staying?"
"No way, Cupid gets on my nerves. Besides, the meetings really are only for Legendary Figures. I mean, sometimes I'll come along if there's something Mother Nature wants to talk about that involves the elves, or if you need me or Curtis to take minutes we'll go, but other than that there's no reason for a magical creature to attend."
"Oh, alright. Well, I'll see you soon then."
"Later, boss."
Bernard leaves in a shower of red and green sparkles. Scott looks around the room again, wanting to check it out a little more before going into where the council meeting is being held. He's just started inspecting the tree statue when he hears a voice.
"Santa!"
Scott turns around the see the Tooth Fairy walking towards him from the entrance, shrugging off his blue coat and folding it over one arm. Scott raises his hand in greeting. "Hey, Tooth Fairy."
"Just Tooth is fine." the man says. "I wasn't expecting you here today."
"Really? Is it that surprising that I'd want to come to Cupid's meeting?"
"Well, you're the first Santa that has since I've been Tooth Fairy, and it's been close to two hundred years now since I've gotten my wings. So, that's got to tell you something."
"T-two hundred years?"
"Yea... most of us Legendary Figures have had our jobs for at least a hundred years, except you of course. Didn't you know that?"
"No... I knew my elves lived longer than humans, but I didn't think you all did too."
Tooth claps him on the shoulder, giving him an understanding smile. "Sorry, I guess that must have been quite a bomb to drop on you. But, yea, the magic we Legendary Figures have pretty much stops us all from aging when we take our jobs. My guess is because Nature's kind of picky when it's choosing someone for a Legendary Figure, so it doesn't want to have to constantly be on the lookout for the next person. But when it's time to call it quits, if we want, we can give up all traces of magic and start aging again. I've heard some Legendary Figures preferred to go that route when their job was over."
"I can't believe I didn't know all this." Scott says shaking his head.
"I think Bernard has it written down in that Santa Handbook of yours."
"Man, I've got to read that thing."
Tooth barks out a laugh and then motions for Scott to follow him. "Come on, let's get in there before Cupid starts complaining about us being late."
They start towards the door to the dining room. Before they can enter though, a swirl of snow and ice appears by the pool of water. The temperature in the room drops drastically as frost starts to climb up the walls and along the branches of the tree statue. Scott hears a loud cracking sound as the pool starts to freeze over. The swirl disappears with a burst of snowflakes and in its place stands a tall, thin man with pale skin and frozen, white hair. He's wearing a dark blue pinstriped suit that has frost clinging to the collar and cuffs of the sleeves. Scott can see the vest he wears underneath is made up of the same material and design as his suit jacket and the white shirt under that glimmers like the ice now covering the pool by their feet. The man adjusts his tie, which is made up of nothing more than several thin icicles wrapping around one another, and then looks over towards Scott and Tooth. Scott can tell, even from behind the man's blue-tinted wire-rimmed sunglasses, that he is being stared at.
"My, my, I'd know that old red coat anywhere. You must be our new Santa Claus," the man says in a slippery voice. He walks forward, slipping off his sunglasses and carefully stuffing them into his jacket pocket. Scott is a little taken aback at how blue the man's eyes are.
"Uh, yea, that's me. Who are you?"
"Jack Frost. I'm a Legendary Figure as well. Though you may not recognize me, I'm sure you've heard of me."
"Sorry," Scott shrugs, "can't say I have."
Jack's face immediately falls into a frown, but before he can respond Tooth grabs Scott's arm and starts pulling him towards the dining room. "Come on. We have to go or we'll be late.
"Oh, of course," Jack says, walking with them. "Wouldn't want to upset our dear Cupid. You know, before we get in there though, I have been meaning to wish you good luck, Santa."
"'Good luck?'"
"Yes, well, I've heard a bit about you and from what people are saying things aren't going to go smoothly up at the North Pole this year."
Scott scoffs. "Who said that? We'll be fine."
Jack looks at him with a tricky smile that is all teeth. "Well, big fella', I certainly hope so."
Two extremely long hours later, Scott meets Bernard by the entrance to Cupid's home. The elf grins at him when he sees Scott yawn. "How was the meeting?"
"Long. It took Cupid almost the entire time we had scheduled for the meeting to go over the projections for all the couples getting together or breaking up this Valentine's Day. And apparently he didn't finish going over everything he had planned. He asked Mother Nature if he could bring it all up at the next meeting instead."
"What'd she say?"
"'We'll see.'"
Bernard laughs. "Which in mother-speak pretty much means 'not likely.'"
"Hello, Bernard." calls someone from behind them. Scott turns to see Jack slipping on his sunglasses. Bernard just snorts and pins the man with a glare. Which only makes Jack's face break out into a wide grin. He bows to Mother Nature- who is standing just to his left by Father Time- with a flourish and then disappears in a swirl of ice and snowflakes.
"Who is that guy?" Scott asks.
"Jack Frost. He's one of the non-holiday Legendary Figures, like Sandman and Tooth Fairy. He's the Heralder of the Winter Season."
"The what?"
"That means it's his job to bring winter to the world." Bernard explains. " He kind of just does whatever he wants though. Tooth Fairy says he's almost never at meetings. Apparently he's always off trying to come up with ideas for his own holiday."
Scott nods his head, still staring at the place where Jack disappeared. He sees Bernard lean over to try and catch his eye, so he gives the elf his attention.
"What's wrong?" the elf asks.
"Why do you think something's wrong?"
Bernard rolls his eyes. "I've already told you; an elf always knows when a human needs help."
"Right, right." Scott sighs. "It's just something that Jack guy said to me before the meeting."
"What'd he say?"
"He wished me 'good luck' because apparently he's heard all about me and he doesn't think things are going to go well at the poll this year."
"Oh, what does he know," Bernard grumbles. "I wouldn't put too much stock into what he said. People always gossip about the new Santa, and almost all of them have done great."
"Almost all of them?"
"We've had a few... not-so-good ones. But trust me, you're gonna do just fine."
"I hope so," Scott sighs, leaning back against the wall as he looks around the room at the other Legendary Figures. "I don't want to mess this up too."
"What do you mean 'too?'"
Scott opens his mouth to answer, but freezes before he can get any words out. That feeling he'd had before, when he'd told Bernard about everything being awkward with Laura and Neil, was back. It's not that he didn't like talking to the elf. Bernard was friendly, and he gave good advice. Scott thinks they get along pretty well for people who've only known each other a couple months, but he still doesn't know where the line is for what's okay to talk about with him, and what would just be weird. Bernard's eyes narrow like he knows Scott is considering ignoring his question and Scott suddenly wonders if part of the elf's magic involves always knowing what Scott is thinking.
"My meetings this week didn't go very well and I'm... kind of worried I may have really messed things up for Charlie this past Christmas."
"But you and Charlie seem closer than ever."
"I know, and I think we are getting a lot closer, it's just..." he pushes away from the wall and runs a hand over his face. "everyone in Lakeside was apparently talking about me and Charlie being away those few weeks. I just keep wondering if they all think I'm some sort of crazy kidnapper or something!"
"Relax, boss. People talk and come up with stories all the time. As long as you and Laura are okay with how everything went down then that's all that matters."
"I guess so. I just hope this isn't all affecting Charlie in some way."
"As long as you're there for him, Charlie will be okay."
Scott nods. Bernard studies him for a little longer, but lets the conversation fall away. He grabs hold of Scott's arm as he prepares to teleport them back to Laura and Neil's.
He hopes Bernard is right and that he will do a good job as Santa. He really doesn't want to be on the Head Elf's list of not-so-good ones. Mostly though, he really hopes Bernard is right about Charlie being okay. Scott knows he's made his fair share of dumb choices in his life. He just hopes he didn't make one that would mess things up for his son. But, he supposes, he'll just have to stay positive as he waits and sees what happens. In the meantime, he'll just make sure he's there for him.