Christmas With the Calvins Two: Charlie and the Toy Factory

Chapter Ten

"Everyone knows about the North Pole." Charlie told Jack as they walked through the town square. "But what no one ever talks about is where the rest of us live. As herald of the winter season, Jack Frost lives in the Frost Lodge. The Frost Lodge can be moved anywhere you want it to be. I chose to move it here, so I could be closer to the family. The last Jack Frost moved it even further North. He wanted to be isolated from everyone else. The Frost before that, lived off the coast of Australia on a private Island."

"So, I could keep the Lodge her at the North Pole if I want to?" Jack asked.

"I'm not the first Frost to post up here." Charlie told him. "The Council has a nonnegotiable rule that if any of the heralds want to move their homes within range of another legendary figure's territory you have to get their permission first."

"So, I'll need Santa's permission to keep the Lodge here?" Jack clarified.

"Yes. But I have it on pretty good authority that won't be a problem." Charlie assured him. "Curtis and Bernard however, have their own requirements. They've had a bit of a history with past Frosts, so as a rule the Pole requires you to sign some legal agreements before they'll let you stay."

"Legal agreements?" Jack repeated. "What kind of a history did they have?"

"Multiple attempts at hostile take overs, kidnappings, usurping, murder, and that's only what they caughtFrost doing." He answered.

"Kidnappings? Murders?" Jack's eyes widened in shock. "Who knew Christmas politics were so serious! I promise Charlie you won't have that problem with me. I can't imagine why anyone would want to be Santa when they could be Jack Frost! No offense..."

"None taken." Charlie laughed. "Other than the fact that you can move the Lodge anywhere, it's pretty much just like a regular house."

Charlie and Jack had left the Town Square behind them. They passed the neighborhood where Jess and Bernard's house was located and began climbing up a small slope. At the top of the hill was a log cabin. It was a simple and square one room house with a big enough porch for two rocking chairs. Jack loved it instantly.

"C'mon," Charlie invited him inside.

There was a kitchen area with a fridge, an oven and some limited counter space. A table for two was located nearby. On the other side of the room there was a couch and a sixty-inch flat screen TV hung on one wall. An unmade bed with ice blue sheets was the only other major piece of furniture in the room.

"It's not much." Charlie confessed, "but it's home."

"It's better than my apartment." Jack told him.

"You can always redecorate obviously, but that was never really my thing. I also have a lot of stuff in storage." He shrugged.

"What's this?" Jack walked over to a walk that was taken up almost entirely by shelves. Each shelf displayed dozens of crystal snowflakes in various sizes. As Jack got closer, he realized each snowflake flickered with images almost like they were playing tiny video clips.

"Ah, each one is the first snowflake ever created by a Frost." Charlie reached down on a lower shelf and removed a snowflake from the display. "When you create your first snowflake, there's a ceremony and you're asked to think of your happiest memory. That memory is preserved in here, it's supposed to be your guiding light on the darkest days." Charlie held his snowflake out to Jack. "This one's mine."

"I Wouldn't want to break it." Jack said, taking a step back.

"Maybe another time then." Charlie said. He put the snowflake back on the shelf. "We should probably get you home soon anyway."

"What happens now?" Jack asked.

"Well, you get some time to enjoy your life. My Dad will deliver the gifts for the last time this Christmas. We'll do the changeover on the twenty-sixth, then you and I get a year to train and adjust to our new roles." He answered.

"And in the meantime, that's it?" Jack frowned.

"In the meantime, enjoy your last normal Christmas with your sister." Charlie pat him on the back encouragingly. "Believe it or not, some years you'll miss it."

"Charlie, I want to thank you." Jack told him. "I can't help but feel like being Jack Frost is my destiny. Like this was who I was always supposed to be."

"I'm glad Jack." Charlie told him. "Remember that feeling, on the harder days."

Harder days. Darkest days. It hadn't gone unnoticed by Jack that Charlie kept hinting that there may be something more about the Frost role that Charlie wasn't telling him. He decided not to probe further in that moment. After all whatever the harder days Charlie kept illuding to were, it seemed they hadn't affected him or the rest of the Calvins much. He was sure whatever it was, he'd over come it.