Christmas with the Calvins

Chapter Eighty-Two

When Scott concluded his speech on what it meant for him to be Santa Clause, the entire workshop erupted in thunderous applause from the elves, Scotts family and even Carol's parents. They knew that what he'd said had come from the heart.

"While I understand the importance of displaying all of the evidence in front of the entire North Pole," Mother Nature spoke once the supporting cheers around the room began to settle down. "I think we can all agree that this is Council Business and should be further discussed among the legendary figures. But, given the fact that the situation does affect the family of a legendary figure, I will allow one member of the Calvin family to be present for the Emergency Meeting."

"I'll go." Charlie volunteer immediately.

"Charlie are you sure?" Jess asked him.

"Yeah." He nodded. "Dad needs you and Bernard to help get Christmas back on track. I'll take care of this."

"Okay, If you're sure." Jess agreed.

"Let's go, Sport." Together Scott and Charlie escorted Jack away from the main floor of the workshop and up the stairs to Scott's office. The other council members also began making their own way up to the office.

"I can't believe it's finally all over." Jess sighed with relief.

"Well, it's not exactly over." Curtis frowned. "What about the other Bernard? Plus you know, we've still Christmas to save."

"Okay, Curtis you see if you can get the assembly line started up again." Jess suggested. "Bernard and I will have to go see about other Bernard, and then see what else we can do from there."

"Jessie wouldn't I be more effective here?" Bernard suggested. His wife adamantly disagreed.

"If you think I'm letting you out of my sight ever again..."

"Alright, alright." He nodded with understanding. "Forget I even suggested it."

"C'mon." Jess held Bernard's hand, leading the way through the workshop. "The last time I saw other Bernard, we'd sent him off to the Naught and Nice room."

"Makes sense. Even a Bernard who can't remember the last ten years would remember his time in the Naughty and Nice department." Bernard agreed.

"Bernard? Where did you go?" The elf in charge of the Naughty and Nice department looked relived to see the former head elf. "I'm sorry Jess, one minute he was looking at the controls and the next...well I turned around and he vanish."

"Vanished?" Jess and Bernard repeated at the same time.

"Yeah. It was like he was just gone. Did you change your clothes?" The elf asked Bernard.

"Not exactly. It's a long story, which I'm sure will be explained in Bernard's post-Christmas speech. Right now, the important thing is that Bernard is back and he remembers everything so he can help us fix the Naughty and Nice machine." Jess told him.

"This place is a disaster." Bernard frowned.

"That's why we're here to help them." Jess reminded him.

Meanwhile, Charlie leaned against the wall behind his father's desk. He wanted to help his dad and Jess any way he could, and he'd meant that when he'd volunteered to sit in on the council meeting. He stood quietly and tried to listen as Mother Nature rattled off a long list of charges against Jack Frost.

"I think," Father Time, said once the she'd concluded. "Frost should be stripped of his title and banished from the council."

"I don't know." Cupid disagreed. "Banishment for a first offense?"

"But this isn't a first offense!" Easter Bunny argued. "The only reason Jack was here in the first place is because he'd already tried to upstage Santa once."

"That was more like a verbal warning." Cupid scoffed.

"It shouldn't matter." Tooth Fairy chimed in. "You shouldn't be able to take over someone else's holiday like this!"

"Santa, what do you think?" Mother Nature asked him calmly.

"I don't know." Scott shook his head. "I don't know."

"What about a suspension?" Charlie suggested, even though no one had asked him. "You know appoint someone temporarily into the position and then after this Jack has had some time to cool off, or warm up I guess, he can have the job back."

"Do you think mythical creatures just fall from the sky?" Cupid asked Charlie. "You think there's a spare Jack Frost hiding in an icicle somewhere?"

"Now wait just a minute, that's not a bad idea, Charlie." Scott approved. "C'mon Easter Bunny, you don't work alone. Cupid you have to have someone who makes your arrows. There's gotta be someone we know who'd be willing to step up and fill in temporarily."

"It's the dead of winter!" Father Time reminded them. "How would we train someone to take over as the winter herald in the middle of the season?"

"How hard could it be?" Charlie asked without thinking.

"How hard?! Does anybody hear this kid?" Cupid gasped.

"What I mean is, Frost has been up here for weeks causing havoc at the North Pole and he was still able to do his job. I think that Cupid or Easter Bunny's jobs must be much harder than Heralding a season. That's all." Charlie shrugged.

"Oh? That's all!" Now Frost was scoffing too. "The job's not all Snowflakes and gentle breezes, kid."

"I think Charlie could do the job, and do it well too!" Toothfairy defended Charlie. "He'd make a great Frost. We already know that he'd be able to work closely with Santa, he could learn the role easily, and let's be honest, we all love Charlie."

"It's a big responsibility, kid." Father Time told him. "You'd have to give up your human life, and you know what can happen if you don't do the job right."

"You don't have to worry about that." Charlie promised. "I'm not looking to turn myself into a human popsicle."

"Well, then I motion for a vote." Mother Nature announced. "All those in favor of suspending the current Jack Frost for a term no greater than five years." All around the room it was a unanimous vote of 'yes' to suspend Frost. "All right the motion passed. And all those in favor of Charlie Calvin taking up the mantle of Frost for the duration of said suspension?" Once again all of the legendary figures on the council voted in agreement.

"Well, Charlie Calvin, you'd better get your affairs in order. It looks like you're our new Jack Frost." Mother Nature smiled. "Meeting adjourned." And that was how Charlie accidentally became the temporary Winter Herald.