Magical

Chapter 24

     "Move it!" Rose shouted as she and her father pushed Carol through the village, running over elves and almost getting run over themselves.
     They maneuvered their way through the crowds before reaching the birthing room. Unfortunately, it turned out to be another false alarm. The elves that had gathered left, complaining about all the false alarms.
     Santa wheeled his wife back towards the house, Rose following behind, allowing the cold wind to whip against her face. She stopped for a second to rest her hand against the small bump she had. She bit her lip as she thought about Bernard for the first time in awhile.
     After the accident that had put him in a coma, she had cried for weeks. Eventually, though, she had put the thoughts aside to focus on work. It wasn't that she hadn't thought of Bernard, she did. She still visited him everyday in the healers wing. He hadn't stirred since he fell into the coma. She would sit next to him and tell him what was going on, that she missed him and loved him, yet she never had the courage to tell him, even sleeping, that she was pregnant. It just didn't feel right to tell him unless he was awake and could respond.
     It had been nearly three months since he had fallen into that coma. She was starting to lose hope that he would ever wake up.
     Sighing to herself, Rose followed after her parents. By the time she got to the house, Curtis had joined the two, asking, "Have you even checked this list once?"
     "I have perused it." Santa said.
     "Everything alright?" Rose asked as she walked into the room.
     Curtis smiled when he saw her. "Rose, how're you feeling?"
      "Sick." She said in as much a smartass way as she could but it fell flat.
      "Dr. Histmus, you should check her next."
      "No I'm fine. Take care of Carol." She turned her attention back to Curtis. "So what's going on?"
      "Toy production has slowed down considerably."
      "Is that all? Curtis, did you come all the way up here to stress us all out over...." She shook her head. "Y'know what? Sorry. I need a moment to myself."
     With that, Rose rushed out the room to head to the nearest bathroom as bile came spilling out of her.
     "How is she?" Curtis asked.
     Santa bit his lip. "I think you know, Curtis. She hasn't been the same since..." He trailed off. "And she blames herself."
     "Well she shouldn't."
     "You and I both know my daughter is way too stubborn to do what anyone says."
     "I heard that." Rose said, re-entering the room.
     "Anyways, the council has called for a meeting and they need both of you."
     "I can't go now! I have work to do!"
     "And I'm not feeling well enough for travel."
     "They know that. That's why they're here."
     "Here?"
     "Yes. Here."
     "Where?"
     "The kitchen."
     "The kitchen?"
     "Is there an echo in here?"
     Rose laughed. "I taught you well, old friend." She ruffled Curtis' hair. He tried to look mad but couldn't quite manage it. "Welp then, dad, I guess we'd better not leave them waiting."
     With that, Rose made her way downstairs. A few minutes later, she was joined by a very pregnant Carol who was eating on popcorn garland. "You ok, Carol?"
     "I'm fine." She responded.
     Santa and Curtis were soon behind, Santa trying to chat with his wife who was clearly trying to get some alone time. She was sticking next to Rose, the two pregnant women wandering the workshop.
     "I need companionship. Family."
     "Well what am I? Chopped liver?" Rose muttered sarcastically.
     "Well we're your family. Right elves?"
     "We love you, Mrs. Claus!"
     "Taller people."
     "Again I say what am I? Chopped liver?" Rose paused for a second. "On second thought, I'm not the tallest person either. Forget I said anything." Carol snickered. "See? I got her to laugh."
      "More than I could do." Santa muttered. He was suddenly hit with an idea. "Hey. Why don't we bring your family here?"
      "Here?"
      "Yea just her parents."
      "Her parents?"
      "Now who's the one doing the echoing?" Rose said, smiling.
      "I'm serious."
      "No you're more of a Ron Weasley."
      "You can't just bring her parents here!" Curtis began explaining about the secret of Santa.
      "He's right. I mean my parents can't keep a secret. It wouldn't work anyway. They think you're a toymaker in Canada."
      Santa then began explaining his plan to make the North Pole look like Canada. Immediately, everyone set to work.
      In the meantime, Rose and her father had a council meeting to get to.
                             * * * * *
     Rose leaned back in a chair as she waited for her father to show up. Eve was waving a small necklace over her stomach. "Twins." She remarked. "A boy and a girl."
    "Are you sure?" Rose asked.
    "She's never wrong." Mother Nature said with a smile. "By the way, how're you feeling?"
    "Tired. Sick. Still a bit sad."
    "I'm sorry, dear, but don't worry. It'll get better. He will come back for you and then you'll have two new ones to love...together."
     Rose smiled. "Sure."
     Finally, Santa arrived. "Sorry I'm late."
     "It's fine, Santa. I just thought you might wanna see this." Here, Mother Nature pulled out a cardboard cutout of Jack Frost with a sash reading, "Merry Frostmas."
      "Oh good lord, not him again!" Rose said. "I'm already sick enough without him and his corny pick-up lines!"
     "So to our first and only order of business, what to do about council member Jack Frost."
     "Ooh i like the sound of that!" Jack Frost said, walking up wearing a pair of frosty sunglasses that made him look like even more of an ass than usual. He took them off and smirked at Rose. "What's up, hot stuff? You're giving me a fever."
     Rose rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Are you naturally this annoying or am I just lucky?"
     "Jack Frost!" Mother Nature said, getting his attention at last. "You are hereby charged with 273 counts of attempted upstaging of Santa Claus. You froze a volcano in Hawaii, you made it snow in the Amazon, and you frosted Mexico City, sending of all the geese North for the Winter."
      "And ya kill fruit!" EB added.
      "You have violated the Legendary Figures Code of Conduct I a manner that is both willful and malicious!"
      "Excuse me. Do you just accuse me of being skillful and delicious? Guilty is charged."
      "Vote on suspension for Jack Frost. Show of hands?"
      Everyone raised their hands. Jack, realizing the load of trouble he was about to be in, immediately said, "Wait. That's not fair!" He turned to Scott. "What? You get all the Coca Cola cans and the TV specials," he continued listing items, "the beautiful wife and the even more gorgeous daughter," he smirked at a disgusted Rose, "and the army of toy-building yes men? And what do I get? A couple of runny noses and some dead citrus!"
    Santa finally snapped. "Y'know Frost, it's not all that easy being me! Because of our production line, an entire continent might go without presents, my wife's pregnant, my daughter's pregnant, I'm trying to take care of them both, and I've got a big problem this year because the in-laws, oh the in-laws, Mr. and Mrs. Angry-Everytime-I-Turn-Around are coming, and ontop of that, I'm a little bit nervous about being a father again because I wasn't all that good at it the first time!"
     "Dad, that's not true. You've been a great father and that little boy is gonna love you just as much as Charlie and I do."
     "She's right. And I'm so sorry, Santa. I didn't realize how bad things had gotten."
     "Y'know if it were me in the red suit, I'd probably go straight to the Escape Clause."
     "Escape Clause? What's that?" Jack Frost asked.
     "Maybe if you attended a council meeting in awhile, you'd know." Rose said, sarcastically.
      "Y'know you're really sexy when you try to be intimidating."
      Rose snorted and rolled her eyes again. "No I'm not gonna use the Escape Clause." Santa said.
      "Wait a minute." Jack Frost said. "Let me help you." Santa and Rose both opened their mouths to refuse. "Hear me out! What if I tutor myself at the elbow of the master? And if it doesn't work out, the big man will say so and you suspend me. Please, Santa, give me another chance."
      "I wouldn't." Rose said.
      "Why not?"
      "Dad, are you serious?"
      "Rose, you needed a second chance to become something better. So did I. So did Charlie and Laura and Neil. So did Carol. So does Frost. Maybe this could change things for the better."
      Rose looked at Jack Frost who was now eyeing her with an innocent smile. "Fine. But if this goes south, don't say I didn't warn you."
      Mother Nature smiled. "Motion carried."
      With that, she knocked her gavel against the table, ending the meeting. Jack Frost grinned maliciously. Now to put his plan into action....