Disclaimer: I own nothing, my writing is for amusement and sanity.

Here's my Take Three! Or is it Four? I've messed with my other story "Reindeer to the Rescue", from edits to deletes and redo tries...I'm not satisfied with it, and can't make myself fix it at this point so let's try this!

Read and Review please!

To Guest: Wow thank you so much!

Chapter Six

Xxx

Charlie fought with his shirt cuffs, wondering why he agreed to dress "up" for the yearly North Pole party when all he was going to do was hide in a corner with a plate piled high with sweets and appetizers and message Danielle.

But, here he was, in the bedroom assigned to him at the North Pole, trying the button his sleeves and not mess up the nice maroon shirt his dad had requested.

Not that he'd ever wear the shirt again, not if Danielle was serious and going to wear dark blue to prom and make Charlie do the same to match.

Sighing at his appearance, Charlie scrunched his face at the mirror and headed out.

The main ballroom of the North Pole was fully decked out when the son of Santa Claus slipped in, elves already deep into partying and the music was cranked up. A few waved to the teen, but most left him alone while he was on his mission of acquiring food.

Made it easier to find a chair and hide against the wall. This year, the décor department had gone with silvers and blues, pulling out the wood tones of the ballroom and practically glowing under the chandelier lights. Charlie let himself relax, sinking into the chair and watching the kitchen elves start a dance off with the doll crew. It was several minutes later that the DJ-Marcus from wrapping if Charlie remembered properly-shifted the house lights back up and dropped the music.

"Alright everyone! The moment we've all been waiting for-Give it up for the one, the only-Santa Claus!"

It took this year's spotlight operator about five extra seconds to swing the beam at Charlie's dad, positioned at the top of the stair case leading down from the balcony level. The applause echoed across the room, fading when Santa held up a hand in a soft wave before nodding to Marcus across the room.

"And now…even better than the Big Man himself, in her first appearance officially for the North Pole-Here's your new Mrs. Claus!"

The room erupted even louder, and Charlie actually had to stand up to be able to see. Carol looked radiant in her dark red dress, arms bare and hair curled up in fancy waves half pinned up with tiny gems. She even wore the jewelry set Charlie heard his mom cooing over the morning after the usual Miller house Christmas stuff. Someone, likely Judy or maybe even Lila from the beauty salon, had done up the woman in stunning makeup, accenting the simple, yet elegant dress with the faint touches.

Judy stepped into the spotlight just long enough to pass Santa a drape of red velvet and white fur, slipping back into the balcony shadows. Carefully unfolding the garment, Santa held up a coat to the glittering lights, eliciting even more cheers while Santa helped his wife into it. Carol delicately shrugged on the antique, fastening the buttons before turning to the gathered crowd. Santa turned her in a slightly spin, taking Mrs. Claus' arm and leading her down the stairs.

"Shouldn't you be over there too?"

Charlie turned to see Jack Frost, the navy-blue suit decked man leaning on the wall next to the teen and holding a glass of cider that Charlie was definitely not allowed to sample.

"Why?"

Snorting, the Seasonal Herald knocked back the entirety of his glass, "Oh you know," He waved the glass towards the spotlight beam tracking across the ballroom, "Showing off with the rest of the Holiday Glee Squad."

A quick shake of his head, and Charlie slumped further into his chair, "Nah, newly-weds don't need an extra kid hanging around. And what are you doing here? Thought this wasn't your thing."

Jack shrugged while snagging a fresh drink from the buffet they were behind, "I got requested to attend and turn in my seasonal startup report. Mom Nat is floating around here somewhere and expects me to make a long enough appearance that I don't seem like I am shirking my duties in welcoming the new Figure."

"Mrs. Claus that big of a deal?" Charlie asked, and got a slight toast before Jack knocked back another glass, setting both empties in the busser bin under the drinks table.

"More like…" Jack Frost twisted his wrist, flicking snowflakes off his fingers with a casual motion, "It's a big deal in title mostly, and the amount of time since the last new First Lady. The Council hasn't had a new figurehead show up since your dad as Santa, and before that it was almost six decades since a new appointment."

"Show off the new kid?"

A low chuckle, like crackling ice, slid from Jack when he nodded, "Basically, but anyway…enjoy your solitude if you insist," The Herald bowed slightly, "I got places to be that's not ensconced with the never-ending lovey-dovey madness that is-"

"The North Pole?"

Charlie nearly snorted soda out of his nose at Jack's full body shudder, the Herald spinning to face Bernard when the Head Elf appeared at his other side.

Instead of instantly replying to the heavy sarcasm and condescension, Jack rolled his eyes, leaning back from the elf with a scowl, "Always a pleasure B-"

"Bernard."

"Whatever," Jack adjusted his suit, flicking imaginary dust off his shoulders and sending a spray of icy flakes at Bernard's face, "I'm outta here in a minute, don't get your ears in a twist."

Bernard glared at the Herald, but stepped back when he passed, following the Herald's movements over to Santa and Mother Nature, flourishing through his quick conversation and bowing a bit dramatically to Carol before spinning on his heel and vanishing in a flurry. Literally.

Shaking his head at the figure, Charlie went back to his phone, ignoring the rolling party. He'd only met Jack Frost a handful of times, on the rare occasions the icy nymph showed up either intentionally or uninvited. Almost always, it ended in someone pissed off, and this time was no different.

Muttering in what vaguely sounded like Norwegian, Bernard shifted to lean against the wall next to Charlie, "Not out enjoying yourself Sport?"

The teen shrugged, "Not my thing."

"Since when?"

"You're not out there," Charlie snapped, glaring at the elf and getting a slightly frustrated look in return.

But instead of goading the human into action, Bernard let out a heavy sigh, rubbing at his eyes with a shrug of his own, "Suit yourself, I'll see you later." Turning to go, the elf grimaced a little almost unseen. Charlie didn't respond, but did watch closely. Bernard didn't go mingle, actually leaving the party entirely. Past experience told the teen that the Head Elf would return after everyone else was gone for the cleanup job, supervising the breakdown of the fancy party stuff.

For someone who had become rather well known at skimping on work and missing classes, Charlie wasn't heartless.

"Hey, Connor!"

The R&D elf turned, smiling warmly in greeting, "Hi Charlie! What's up?"

"Could you do me a favor?"

Xxx

Xx

Xxx

Stirring awake left Bernard bordering on franticness, the darkness encroaching on the apartment's living room was fading out into early dawn gloom instead of the night time he was expecting. A few seconds of calming his breathing lead him to feel the resurfacing of the aches that had been weighing him down for a while now.

And for once, it was fading…present but no longer trying to overwhelm his thinking.

Not quite a delayed response to resetting the magic flow with Scott, Bernard's very core just ached with the imbalance of power fluctuating. It had actually started before the Toy Santa, closer to Halloween if the elf was honest.

It had taken until Thanksgiving, and Curtis admitting he'd found the Mrs. Clause information and questioning Scott's time frame, for Bernard to realize. From then on…especially through Christmas, it had only gotten worse.

But now…with Mrs. Claus having received her coat, and the wedding being official, everything was finally leveling out.

Slowly.

With his bones settling down from the stress of the last month, Bernard took a minute to wake up further, having not intended on sleeping let alone as long as he apparently had considering it was almost dawn.

His alarm had been set for just after midnight, when the party was going to be over. Just a reminder to pull himself out of the paperwork.

And…was disabled.

Bernard sighed, rubbing at his eyes and forcing himself to stand. There was no innate desire in finding the ballroom still messy and needing to be packed up until the next event. Not at all.

The Pole was quiet when he slipped from his house, not even late night stragglers out and about after the Christmas Bash. Probably a good thing, a piece of the Head Elf didn't want to encounter anyone, not when he was sore, tired, and kind of pissed off at being late.

He was not expecting to walk into the ballroom through balcony side, and look down to an almost completely disassembled party.

The storage crates of the lights and speakers were waiting in a corner to be moved, the tables and chairs stacked up against the far wall, while the reusable decorations were packed and in their bins on the stage.

Someone must have already stripped all the refreshments, even the trash and busser bins were gone.

All that was left were the rafter decorations and ribbon streamers attached to the chandelier and required a key to move.

And Charlie down on the main floor, sweeping up the huge room by himself.

The teen had shed his button down shirt and nice shoes, moving around in a plain t-shirt and the slacks, his feet jammed into slippers. Low music was bubbling from a tiny radio nearby, enough to fill the silence without echoing.

Bernard stood a bit in shock, slowly leaning on the balcony railing to watch as Charlie kept going.

"Thought you'd be sleeping til New Year's."

Charlie glanced up, jumping a little at the louder voice, "Oh hey, figured that wouldn't fully work."

"Oh?"

The teen waved vaguely at the room, "Asked Connor to disable your alarm remotely, wasn't sure if he'd managed, but figured you could use the break. And there was no way I was staying in the suite tonight."

Bernard stared for just a second, the answer dawning on his face suddenly and earning a grim nod from the teenager.

"Yeah…and you said I had to clean, might as well start somewhere." Charlie turned back to his tasks, careful not to spill any of the glitter in the dustpan.

"Want to explain to me," Bernard trekked down the stairs, hands in his pockets casually while watching Charlie sweep, "Why you've kept up on the teenage delinquent status?"

"Still not New Year's."

"That's not an answer."

Sighing loudly, Charlie shrugged around leaning down to the dustpan, "Just…sucks."

"Which part?"

"All of it."

Bernard narrowed his eyes, catching the bullshit in an instant, "You liked art last time I knew, and that summer club."

Charlie shrugged again, avoiding the elf's gaze and resigning himself to his task.

"Charlie-"

That got his attention, and the tired eyes locked on Bernard's with a grim air of a teen being forced to grow up, "What?"

Nothing the Head Elf could say right now, would make anything better instantaneously, teenagers were not Bernard's strong suit. But he could try.

"I'm not mad," Bernard stepped closer, taking the broom while the teen braced the dust pan to the last pile of the glitter, "I am disappointed; but I'm not your dad, not your mom or Neil or any of your teachers." He crouched down to look Charlie in the eye, "I hope you get whatever this is figured out, and my door is always open."

Charlie nodded, his jaw tightening slightly, but some of the stress in his shoulders slipped away. "But…"

"Yes?"

The teen looked up with a wide grin, "Wouldn't that mean you'd have to actually use your office?"

Snorting, the elf lightly shoved the kid, shrugging himself with a sigh, "Point taken, but still Sport, I'm here."

"Yeah…okay…"

"Good," Bernard took the broom to put away, "How about some breakfast?"

Xxx

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Xxx

February 10th

Xxx

The snap and clicks of lockers opening and closing were a chaotic staccato that pounded just as loudly as Charlie's headache.

He'd spent four more days at the Pole, mostly hanging with the R&D elves during their review sessions for the past year, and providing an outside perspective from an older adolescent. Some of his time was as a valuable contributor, while the rest was as a studious observer, taking notes when he remembered. If he wasn't deep in Quentin's department, Charlie was truly hiding in the design studios, dabbling in sketches and paints like he was supposed to have done over his entire fall semester in art class.

Evelyn didn't mind the invasion, even covering for Charlie with Santa for long stretches of time unless Carol got involved. Then she had to tell Mrs. Clause where Santa's son was stashing himself during his vacation.

After calling down the first time to find Charlie in the studios, Carol made a point of just silently checking the art department when Quentin didn't know where the teen was, it let her see a little into the mind of the student she'd most struggled with, outside of her school kids with physical criminal records. Charlie had talent…his design skills…were something to pursue. She'd said as much just before the end of winter break, after Charlie went back to his mom's and Scott went with Carol to her house to prepare for the spring semester.

After two days back into the school year, Charlie was miserable.

While Principal Newman-now Calvin, had eased up, in that all suspensions and detentions had been superseded into community service hours, Charlie still wasn't off the hook. Neil, Laura, and Scott had set Charlie's grounding to end on February seventeenth, one more week…

The service hours would likely be completed in another two weeks, if the weather held out, scraping the rec center walls and repainting them was taking forever.

As for his homework, Charlie was mostly on time, struggling in history but keeping up well enough with the rest that his teachers were off his back.

Made it easier to enjoy his study hall and lunch period, and hang out with Danielle.

That had to be the only highlight to Charlie's return to classes after break, a minor crush and barely coherent ramble of bad one liners in the hallways, had evolved into a slightly shy budding…something…

Including a date-and parental release from grounding-for the Valentine's fair in a few days.

Shoving his science books in his locker until later, Charlie fought with his backpack strap and scowled, just another day in-

"Charlie Calvin to the Front Office, Charlie Calvin-Front Office."

Uh oh…

Xxx

Stepping into the secretary's domain, he found Principal New-Calvin chatting politely with a grandmotherly looking woman, her dark hair laced with fine silver. And her relative's hair…judging by the intake papers the older woman and the principal were filling out, was going to be a new student at the high school.

She also had dark hair, a chocolate color nearing black it was so rich. Her lightly caramel tinted skin accented the deep brown eyes that glanced up at Charlie's arrival with a small smile. It mostly shook, she was shivering after being outside, but her dark green winter gear did make Charlie smile, the delicate silver embroidery of classical reindeer peeking out on the scarf tucked under a backpack.

"Oh good Mr. Calvin, you're here."

The principal gestured slightly to the new student, "This is Sarah Vaughn, transfer student from across the district. She'll be in a few of your classes so I was hoping you could assist her in getting settled."

"Sure, English first?"

"Mrs. Tate's class, yes. Go ahead you two."

Taking the dismissal, Charlie held the door open for Sarah, barely managing a cordial grin back at Carol in parting.

The trek to the second floor stairs was in silence, and climbing up to the upper floor was just as awkward, until Sarah paused at the top and turned to Charlie with a grimace.

"You have no desire to show me around do you?"

He shook his head, "More like this is an adjustment to my community service hours."

"You too?" Sarah rolled her eyes, "They stick like minds together, I volunteer at the rec center with the music groups and my aunt, the woman in the office, she runs the rescue ranch outside of town."

Charlie smirked back, "Try two suspensions, three in-school suspensions, and a ton of detentions that I never actually went to. Got thrown onto community service when my dad didn't want me out of school."

"Lucky," Sarah shrugged, "Show's someone cares. How about this, give me a hand til lunch and I'll find my way from there."

Glancing down the hall where the English classrooms were bunched together, Charlie shook his head, "You know…I got this. I even know a couple people who can take over. I'm not the kind of student you'd want to be around. But I bet there's a couple others in the art classes."

"Sounds good to me."

The day proceeded smoothly, past lunch and to art class where Sarah was introduced to the other students and two even recognized her from the rec center. Charlie passed off the duties of showing around the new kid from there.

Once free of his tag along, he figured that was the end of it. Sarah would hit it off with Devon Lancaster and Kat Anderson, and never even bother speaking to Charlie again.

Besides, he had Danielle.

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