Ah, New York City.
Crowded, loud, smelly, and full of money switching hands – oh how Jack loved it! Well, the money part. New York City paled, naturally, in comparison to the amount of money exchanged at the North Pole, but still. Every inch of the city was decked out with Christmas decorations, Santa's face – his face – plastered on every surface. It was one of the top areas that worshiped Santa, him.
And it was perfect!
With his nice car, his nice suit, and a wallet full of money from the Pole, he was prepared to find Mrs. Claus. Three days top, he figured, to find a woman suitable for him. Maybe four to find the perfect one that was grateful enough for his attention.
Speaking of, there was a delightful little blonde right over there~

Alright, so perhaps the four days top estimate was a bit…hopeful. He spent a week going on dates. Three weeks remaining. While his watch still read nine and his wallet was still fairly full, his bed remained cold. His side lacked someone standing with him.
He lost count of the dates, truthfully. There were two handfuls of blondes, three redheads, and a few brunettes but none held his attention for long. They were all interested in money as he was, yes, but they didn't seem to care much for Santa Claus. The combination spelled a nasty divorce in the future. Not only that, but many of them had the nerve to call his hair weird! They dared to say he had no style! The audacity!
Truly, the kicker was when he asked if they've ever heard of Jack Frost. They hadn't. And yes, yes, he was Santa now and they all had at least heard of Santa – a vast progress from his life before – but his ego was still wounded by this ignorance. It simply wouldn't do.
There was one woman he met at the end of the week. He was nearly sure that she would be the one! She was a redhead easy on the eyes, a smile that looked expensive if it wasn't natural. Tracey was her name and as soon as she removed her coat, Jack clapped his hands in excitement.
On her sweater was a large representation of Santa Claus, her wrist was saddled with Christmas charms to the point of comical lack of space, and her earrings were of Santa. Perfect, Jack thought, now to just charm her and…
Then she sang.
Jack nearly jumped out of his seat, it was so perfect! Destiny! Destiny brought them together! Ignoring the people who had gaped at them from her song, Jack stood with her. "Wonderful, simply wonderful! You can be my new elf, a second singer!" It's what she wanted to do with her life, wasn't it? A singer/songwriter?
Tracey blinked. "Second? Oh, no, I intend to be the main attraction." When she sat with a giggle, Jack felt his irritation flare. This giggle, unlike a certain other woman's giggle, only added to his fury.
"Main?" Jack hissed. "No, that couldn't possibly work." Tsk, she simply didn't know her place.
"Why ever now?!" Tracey looked surprised. "Oh, I know! With our hair such different colors, we can do a duet like that movie! The Heat and Snow Misers!"
A duet? Jack's forced grin fell. "I do not share the stage. Good evening." With gritted teeth, he walked out on her.
He sighed as he went back to his Porsche. This wasn't working. So far no one fit his criteria. Beautiful, worship Santa, have at least heard of Jack Frost, and attentive to his every need and want. Was that really so difficult to ask for?!
As he got into the car, slamming the door shut, a thought entered his mind.
Jadis fulfilled all but one of those on his list. Well, at least he thought so. They hadn't had much chance to talk about Santa – it was all about…Jack Frost. Hm. Perhaps he should pay her a visit again, get lost and all. He would bring it up slyly, carefully. If it turned out that she did indeed adore Santa…if she wouldn't mind being his elf…if she knew her place – unlike that redhead just now – perhaps she would be the one.
Three weeks and Nine remaining on his watch.
Why not try for the little country mouse?

When Jack arrived the next day, there was no sign of life. He turned off the car and got out, looking around. Was she outside if there were no lights on inside, no smoke from the chimney? He peaked into the windows – nothing. Hm.
As he started his way to the woods, he wondered if that brute of a man had taken her off somewhere. A flash of jealousy took him over, startling him even. Before he could further explore or justify it, the sound of crunching snow came from his right side. He stopped walking, the footsteps continued closer.
It took a moment for him to see the figure approaching. There was snow covering the woods, of course, but the tree branches were still somewhat visible. Blending it rather nicely was a person covered in white clothes. A bit of black peaked out from the hat they were wearing, a pronounced bow slightly visible over their shoulder, and a rabbit to the side. No, the rabbit wasn't alive, but was hanging from its feet.
It was Jadis!
Jack blinked twice, taking her in as she exited the woods. She was covered, blended nicely into her surroundings. It was her though, her hair slipping from its prison. She had just hunted, it looked like, judging by the rabbit she caught. Her eyes were on the ground before her which made her oblivious to Jack's presence. She looked…solemn.
Jack cleared his throat when they were a few yards away. Jadis jumped and her free hand went for her bow. When she looked up at the source of the noise, she stared. "Jack." She greeted with surprise, her hand falling back to her side. "Er, hi, what are you…I mean, hey." Color flooded her face, a drastic change from the pale it had been moments ago. Yes, now she stood out against the snow.
"Afternoon…Snowflake." Jack smirked at the effect he evidently had on her. "You went hunting, I see."
"I did." Jadis took her hat off, letting her dark locks fall over her shoulder. "Rabbit is quite tasty if the stew is made right. Arrow, easier to clean up, reusable. Had I known I was going to have company…"
Jack nearly blanched at the idea. No, he preferred his food to have been made by the finest chefs…and away from his delicate senses. "Actually," he smiled while closing the distance between them, "I was hoping to take you out to eat. A late lunch, as it were. In the city, that is, I know of a nice place – my treat."
Jadis raised a brow. "Like a…date?" The color kept to her face. He stopped just a couple feet away though her heart still pounded.
"Precisely," Jack purred, "like a date." He knew the effect he was having on her. Oh, he relished being able to make her melt – ironically. The other women had swooned and played their parts, but it had been after they knew he had money. Jadis? She was acting like a schoolgirl before she knew, when she thought he was just as she was. Well, perhaps a bit better off judging by the meal in her hand.
He would 'wow' her then. It couldn't hurt. And if she didn't like Santa, well…he would ask before he sunk too much of his limited resources in.
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt." Jadis grinned, shifting on her feet. "Alright, sure. Let me put Mr. Bun somewhere where the predators won't get him." She walked past him towards the cabin. "So what have you been doing in the past week, Snowball? No, pardon, I think we decided on Icicle, yes?" There was a grin to add to her sass.
Jack followed after, giving a soft chuckle. "I believe," he felt a bit devious, "we settled on 'Frost'."
The woman stopped walking and turned. Jack nearly ran into her from the sudden pause. He blinked and smiled as innocently as he could muster. Jadis tilted her head as she studied him, a twinkle in her eyes. "Frost." She breathed his 'nickname' with a smile. He shivered unexpectedly.
Satisfied with his reaction, she kept to her path. She placed the rabbit in a secure box off to the side of the cabin before going to the front. When she opened the door to let the pair in, she paused. "Er, is that your…car?" She was staring at the Porsche right in front of the entrance.
"Yes it is!" Jack smiled wide, his chest puffed out a bit. Pride and pleasure. He waited for her to realize that he did indeed have money, that he was someone important.
"Oh. No wonder it got stuck in the area last week." Jadis shrugged before stomping on her mat. "Patrick only said it was a 'city slicker' car, he didn't comment on anything further." When she was inside, taking her shoes off, Jack deflated a bit. That was it?! Nevertheless, he followed her behavior and sighed inwardly. It looked like he would have to add a bit more flash to impress her – but no matter. She would come to realize that he was important soon enough.
Jadis put away her bow and arrows before calling out from the kitchen, "Since you're driving, would you like some virgin cocoa? Coffee?"
"Virgin cocoa sounds delightful." Jack had to keep from snickering. Virgin…hm, that was something he hadn't thought about just yet. Was she a…? To be claim the woman, be her first and last lover – husband – hm. He relished in the thought of naming, of possession. Maybe…
"The milk is warming up." She said as she walked back to the living room where Jack stood. "Please, have a seat." He chose the one farthest from the fireplace – strange, she thought. "You didn't answer me earlier. What have you been doing this week?"
"Oh…just…meeting with a great deal of potential…clients." He said carefully. "And yourself?"
"Clients?" She echoed with a brow raised. A conversation for dinner she figured. "Me? Not much. I've been trying to restock some supplies and sell a few products. Nothing fancy." She smiled faintly. "Observing Jack's work in the mornings as well." She turned away to finish making the cocoa. "The real one, that is."
Jack paused. The real…ah, the 'myth', the 'legend'. Him. He laughed, unable to resist at the great deal of irony. This was too good, too golden. One day, perhaps on their honeymoon, he would tell her what was so funny.
When she returned, she placed a cup of hot cocoa in his hands. "Entirely homemade mix, by the by." She inhaled sharply when their fingers brushed. "Jesus, you're freezing! Invest in some gloves, won't you?"
"I have a heated steering wheel," he boasted, "I rarely have the need for gloves." He sipped the cocoa and his brows raised a bit. "Delicious."
"Damn straight it is." She smirked as she took a gulp of her own. "You should try my chai tea mix. Never mind for now though, let me go get dressed so you don't have to wait around too much."
Jack drank some more. "Do you hunt often?"
"Yup." She called out from her room down the hall. It wasn't that far away actually, maybe two yards. He could easily go peak through the…no, he would behave himself. It was always more fun unwrapping a gift by hand anyway. "Between the neighbor and me, it's how we eat. If we don't catch any animals around here, then we don't eat meat. Simple as that."
Jack paused as he processed her words. "What do you do for fruits, vegetables? For other staples?"
"Grow them ourselves, share them, can and preserve them, so forth. Staples? Oh, like flour and stuff? Buy in bulk at the store in town and split it. We only go maybe once a month or every two months." She sounded like she was smiling. "We're very self-sufficient."
"And for money?" He stood from the chair. It made sense that she would spent all her time like that in the country. Such simplicities would take all day.
"I make homemade soaps, drink mixes, some crafts. It's fairly easy to sell them at the market every week. People go nuts over it all, it's almost sad. Same with the food, if I and Patrick have too much in excess then we sell it." She walked out of her room just as he started to drink the rest of the cocoa. "And if I were to need something and lack the money, folks around here are generous enough to lend a hand. So, what do you think?"
When Jack's eyes landed on Jadis, he swallowed the hot cocoa with an audible gulp. She had donned a deep blue, long-sleeve dress that had silver snowflakes embroidered around the waist and trim. Her hair was still a loose mess but it worked somehow. Around her neck was a white scarf. When he didn't speak right away, her cheeks turned the softest shade of pink. "Jack, you're…making me really self-conscious. What, too much?"
"No, it's perfect." Jack managed to speak at last. "Simple and beautiful."
The soft dust of pink turned darker as she laughed. "Thank you, Frost. I've got some fur-lined boots off to the side so it should look well enough."
Jack blinked as he set the now-empty cup down. "All made by hand?"
Jadis merely grinned. "Well, shall we go?" She grabbed her coat and gloves before putting her boots on. "Where are we going anyway?"
"Oh, you'll see." Jack's eyes shamelessly traveled over her form as she moved. The simplicity of her outfit would stick out at the restaurant he had been using the past week for his dates. The boots looked nearly out of place with the richness of the dress simply being a dress, yet it fit with her hair. All in all, she was a cluster of variations, but it…worked somehow.
The ride into the city was filled with Christmas songs playing on the radio, singalongs from the pair, and laughter mostly from Jadis. She praised his singing without reluctance. "I can hardly carry a tune." She shook her head as an afterthought. "I'm a bit intimidated by your singing actually. Have you thought of making it a career maybe?" Oh, Jack smirked, if only she knew.
And while she didn't sound terrible at singing – if Jack was forced to admit, he would call her singing quite lovely – he didn't want her to ruin it all by insisting they do a duet, like that Tracey woman. So instead he soaked up the compliment and made an evasive comment to her question.
Once they were in the city, Jadis shifted in her seat. "Wow, it's been a while since I've been back here. So many lights and people…and noise." She glanced out her window. "At least some of the noise is from music, I guess."
"Back here?" Jack glanced at her. "Are you from here originally?"
"Nah, I'm from Montana originally. Moved out here for, well," Jadis kept her eyes glued outside, unwilling to turn towards him, "there was a guy. Didn't work out."
Damn, Jack thought, so she wasn't a virgin. No matter, it wasn't high on his list anyway. "What happened?" His curiosity got the best of him.
Silence filled the car for a block before he stopped before the restaurant. "An Italian place? Hm, pasta is quite delicious in the winter." She changed the subject as she looked over at the place.
Jack got out and handed his keys to the valet before going to open Jadis' door. He offered his hand, intending to be as charming as ever. Jadis smirked before taking it, raising a brow as she got out of the car. "Steering wheel heater not working? You're a bit chilled still."
The door closed, the car was parked. Jack offered a smile. "I forgot to turn it on, oops." The door was held open for them as they entered. He nodded to the host and after a not-so-subtle exchange of money, they were seated. Jadis raised a brow but said nothing about it.
Jack took Jadis' coat and gloves, the host took it away. The pair sat. Jack ordered a bottle of wine for them. They ordered their food after their glasses were filled. Jadis fidgeted slightly, crossing her feet under the table cloth after she heard someone whisper about them.
Jack quickly took her attention away from that though. "I run my own company."
"You, what?!" Jadis nearly dropped her glass. "Really?! That's amazing." She smiled. "What do you do? The company, that is."
"An amusement park of sorts, toys and all. I sing, actually."
Jadis laughed but before Jack could take offense, she explained, "I'm glad to hear your talent in the car isn't wasted them. Brilliant." She grinned before taking a sip of the white wine. It was a bit sweet, not that she minded.
They spoke further about it. Jack explained how the park was set up and what types of songs he often sang. They fell into a brief lull when their food arrived, both eating. They would both try to sneak looks at one another when they hoped the other wasn't looking. Jadis, when caught, would blush and look away quickly. Jack, however, when caught would only smile.
At least he was confident, Jadis thought. No doubt the singing on stage had something to do that. "So the clients you were meeting, the potential ones…were they, uh, advertisers for the park or something?"
It took Jack a moment to remember what she was talking about, what he had said. "Something like that. Partners, actually. None have caught my attention so far." Like you have, he thought quietly. "Tell me," he suddenly switched topics, "I know what you think about Jack Frost…but what about Christmas? Santa Claus? The North Pole?"
Jadis finished her glass of wine, chuckling as she did. Oh, she was feeling the alcohol already. "Claus…not your last name, but the real Santa Claus? He's interesting, I suppose. A nice idea. Christmas is pleasant as well, I suppose. Warm and fun with surprises for gifts. Lots of nice songs to sing." She sat back in the chair. "The North Pole? I imagine it's cold."
"Haven't you heard about the North Pole? The events? The rides? The excitement?"
She blinked. "Sorry, no idea what you're talking about." She paused. "If it's some sort of gimmick over there, I've not heard of it because, as you saw at my house, I'm not up-to-date on…anything."
"You…" Jack paused. She had no idea what the North Pole was? His work? His grand park? Perhaps, he decided, it was for the best. Judging by how she lived, if she heard about how parents spent nearly their yearly salary there on their kids…
Jadis shrugged slightly. "I guess I'm a bit…indifferent to it all."
Jack set his fork down. Indifferent to Santa Claus? Hm…that wasn't quite what he hoped to hear. At least she didn't hate it. Actually, indifferent was good. It meant that she could be swayed one way or another. It was acceptable, he thought. He poured her another glass as she finished her plate. As he did, he bit the bullet. "Would you like to be my elf?"
Her fork hit the plate with an audible noise, earning a few glares her way. "Er, say again? Your elf?"
Jack paused as he placed the bottle down. "An elf." He corrected for the moment. He couldn't risk coming on too strongly, although how could she resist him if he did? It was better to play it safe.
"Like, for…Santa? Santa's elf?" She raised a brow, clearly confused as to where this came from. Still, she played along. "Um, well." She took the glass and sipped more. "Sounds horrible and boring." She decided at last. As she set her glass down, Jack's face fell slightly. "I mean, to be an elf in Santa's workshop would be to follow a process, a formula to everything, repeatedly right? To make toys nonstop…set toys, very little creativity allowed? Nah. I find such a prospect to be repulsive." A sort of wistful look entered her eyes, drawing his attention to the snowflakes on her temples once more. "No, I would prefer to be a…a sprite to Jack Frost. Then I'd have the freedom to do and make as I please."
Jack stared, taken aback by her answer. No to Santa's elf but…a sprite to Jack Frost? If there had been any doubt to the woman's adoration towards him – towards Jack Frost – it was gone now. And it…also shed a new light on it all. What an odd woman.
Here sat someone who knew who Jack Frost was, who looked at his work in awe and excitement, who thought, knew, he was real. This was a woman who adored him so much that she had gotten snowflakes tattooed on her face. And yet despite all this, she was 'indifferent' to Santa Claus, to Christmas? She was a complete flip of what he was accustomed to as "normal". Yes, he decided, this woman was abnormal.
What would have happened if they had met when he wasn't Santa Claus, in the life previous to this?
That was a dangerous thought to think. It would be even more dangerous, if not flat out stupid, to try and venture past that. No, he banished such a question and focused on the present. Flattered, nonetheless, he decided that…maybe she was worthy of him after all. Not him-Santa, but him-Frost. Yes, she would do nicely as his wife.
As his sprite.
"What about you? Well, I mean, I imagine you'd pick the creative option seeing as your singing…" Jadis had been watching the man as he thought. His eyes darkened, then lightened. His smile fell, then grew. He went from confused to content. Whatever was going on in that head of his?
The waiter suddenly appeared. "Any desserts today?"
Jadis looked up and shook her head. "Oh, I'm absolutely stuffed."
"Neither for myself." When the waiter went to get the check, he looked back at Jadis. She was grinning, happy, tired, a bit lost. "Neither."
"Hm?" She raised a brow.
"At your question. I wouldn't want to be an elf or a sprite, but the big man himself." There was a bit of passion in his tone.
This caught Jadis' attention. She leaned forward. "Which big man?"
He stared at her, leaning forward ever so slightly as well. The obvious answer should have been Santa, someone that everyone knew of at the very least. He was Santa! Her question, however, made him fall quiet. Which big man? As if they were on equal footing in the public's eye?! As if they were equally popular and worshipped?!
"Here you are, sir." The waiter placed the check down before clearing their plates. "Thank you again for visiting."
Jadis looked towards the window as Jack placed a hundred dollar bill in the small book. "I wish I had brought my skates, I heard the skating rink at Rockafella is amazing."
"Rockefeller." Jack corrected.
The woman smiled. "Rockefeller." She repeated. "Do you like to skate?"
"I do, I can cut quite the nice figure. Eight, that is." He grinned as he stood. She followed suite with a soft laugh.
"I'm sure you can." She took her coat from the host as they walked out.
"I know, how about I buy you a pair of skates?"
Jadis nearly tripped. "Uh, pardon?" She looked back at him. "No, really, it's fine. I've got some at the house, they suit me fine."
"Not right now they don't. They aren't here. Think of these skates as…skates for the city." He handed his ticket to the valet to get his car back.
Jadis shifted on her other foot. "Look, thank you for dinner. Lunch. Whatever. I do appreciate it, but I don't...feel comfortable with the idea of you buying me anything else – least of all skates."
No, Jack thought, she definitely wouldn't like the North Pole. He would have to keep that from her. Somehow.
"I understand." Jack said after a moment. Hm, how to woo her then?
A devious grin came across Jadis' face. "You ever skin a rabbit?" When Jack's smile fell, she laughed. The car drove up next to them. "That answers that. I don't think you'd like to learn then? At least now this instant after eating?"
"Possibly not at all." He said honestly, taking the key from the driver. "What about the park?"
"Central park? With all those statues and bridges? Yes! Let's go!" Jadis all but threw herself into the car excitedly.
Jack chuckled as he got in. The drive was, once again, full of Christmas songs that they took turns singing, depending on if the singer was male or female. When they parked, Jadis nearly ran towards the entrance. Jack followed shortly with a grin.
Their travel was quiet enough, the pair talking on and off when something came to mind. Jadis often rambled when it came to the statues. Jack simply let her, enjoying watching the light in her eyes and the tattoos when she looked between them and him. When at last the daylight started to fade, they were in the middle of the park.
"Er," Jadis looked around, "do you recall which way we came from?"
Jack looked at her with a raised brow. "Wait, you're saying you can navigate the woods but a park throws you off?"
Jadis' mouth opened and closed before she lightly smacked his arm. "Hush." She looked away, embarrassed.
An idea came to mind. Money was bad, was it? That was fine because he had a supply of magic – Nine units, whatever that was, but it was still a supply. "I haven't the foggiest idea where we are! But…these three might." A soft ding came from his watch.
From the bridge came two horses on a led carriage, the driver covered up from the cold. Jadis gasped at the sight. "Where did they come from?! I didn't hear them." Jack glanced at his watch as the carriage stopped before them. Eight.
"My lady." Jack gave an over-flourished bow before offering a hand to take. She laughed with delight as she took his chilled hand with her gloved one. When she was in the carriage, he followed and sat next to her. The driver started a leisurely pace. If money was too much, then magic to charm her it would be.
"This is so cute!" She gasped more than once on their travel. After a few minutes, she felt the long walk and the earlier meal take its toll. She leaned against Jack, startling him from the sudden intimacy. It was night now despite a few candlelit posts.
"Let me guess," Jack spoke softly, "you've been on horses but never a horse-drawn carriage before?" When nothing was said, he glanced down at her. "Jadis? Jadis?" He leaned forward a bit to see her asleep. He scoffed and shook his head. Women.
She had better not drool on his suit.