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"We are very busy bringing joy to children. We don't have time for children!"
North could still remember the words he said to Jack Frost the day before Easter, remembered how they had reflected on the state of the Guardians. Jack had been right, the Guardians needed to spend more time with Children, needed to reconnect with them, remember what exactly it was they worked so hard to protect and nurture. Tooth was spending more time leading her fairies in the field, collecting teeth personally. North almost envied her. Almost. She could go out whenever she wished, for her work never ended, but his was relegated to a single season.
Which was why Nicholas St. North (better known to the people of the world as Santa Claus) was taking time away from his workshop during the busiest season, spending the weekend at a shopping mall listening to children tell him what they wanted for Christmas. A very important job, almost as important as making certain everything was still ready for Christmas Eve and his journey around the globe.
He was there thanks to Jack Frost, of all people. The man who was to pose as Santa had slipped on a patch of ice and had sprained his knee. Oh, he would be all right in a few days; enough time for North to take his place for a while and spend time with the children.
North had done his best to learn how such things worked, what he would need to do to not stand out too much to the adults. He knew that there would be people who would pose as elves and helpers, who would help the children to see him, take pictures, deal with the parents. What North did not expect was that one of the women would be so very... Large.
"Hello, Santa!" The woman beamed a radiant, cheery smile at him as she entered the room. She was to escort him to where he would sit and wait for the children to come see him. She was wearing a red velvet dress that hung to her calves, the hem of the skirt and the cuffs of the long sleeves trimmed with soft white fur. The dress had a high empire waist, which only emphasized her heavily swollen belly. Beneath the dress she wore white tights, on her feet were comfortable looking black shoes, on her head what North recognized as a red and white hat of the sort most people believed he wore. Her hair was so blonde it was nearly white, and was pinned into a braided bun, large blue eyes emphasized instead of obscured by the gold wire frames of her glasses with the oval lenses.
Although, to be honest, he wasn't taking in much of her appearance beyond that of her belly.
She saw where his attention was and laughed, placing a hand on her belly and rubbing a circle over it with a fond smile. "I know, I'm as big as a life-sized gingerbread house. Don't worry about me going into labor or anything, I'm only seven months along. She's just a huge little thing." She assured him. "I know you're new for this location, but don't worry, you'll catch on quickly. The one thing different is that we're playing along with the kids who are insisting that I'm Missus Claus. We all tried explaining to them that I was just one of Santa's many helpers, but apparently, there is no such thing as a very pregnant elf. A pregnant Missus Claus makes more sense to them." She grinned wryly.
North couldn't help but to chuckle at that. He had to remind himself that he was playing a part, that most grownups did not believe he was real any longer. Not after childhood had been left behind. And yet... He could sense a spark of the magic of childhood in this woman. A strong spark, for him to sense it so easily. Perhaps it was the season; Christmas brought out the childlike wonder in a great many people.
"Over the years, so many children believe that there must be a Mrs. Claus helping to take care of Santa Claus, but there is no such a lady in his life. He would be a lucky man if only there were such a one!" North declared, earning a laugh from the woman.
"She'd be the lucky one to land a catch like him. Kind and caring. Santa made many a bleak day into a cheerful Christmas for us when I was little." She said simply. "I'll never forget that, so now that I'm all growed up, as they say, I do my best to help keep the magic alive for the littles. Always will." She checked the clock on the wall. "We should start heading to our winter wonderland now. A word of warning, since it is Black Friday, it is going to be absolutely crazy out there. If you need a break, wave me over and let me know that it is time for a cocoa break or eggnog or milk and cookies." She flashed another smile. "My job is to keep the magic going, and to help take care of Santa. Just let me know if you need something, so I can do the taking care of part!"
There was not much time for talking beyond that. She led him to the festively decorated place where the children would come to see him, people thrilled to see Mister and Missus Claus, even though Missus Claus was always on the move, going between working the cash register, operating the camera, and talking to parents and their excited (and sometimes frightened) children who were next in line with an ease that was impressive. She seemed to be the one in charge, instructing the other two people who were working with them, sending them on breaks when necessary, taking over their tasks while they were away. She was no immortal, but by the end of the twelve hours they worked together, North was almost beginning to doubt it. He would have doubted it entirely if it weren't for the strain and weariness showing around her eyes.
"You do an impressive amount of work for someone of your situation." He praised her as they reached the hall that was off limits to all but employees, where they would utilize the locker rooms to change clothing (rather, where she would utilize the locker rooms; he was going to use a snow globe to go directly back to the North Pole) before leaving the building so as not to ruin the experience for any children who might still be awake to see so late at night.
She chuckled. "Oh, believe me, it's all a front. I'm just doing what needs to be done. As soon as I get home I'll pass out until it is time to get ready to do this whole thing over again tomorrow."
"Make certain your husband pampers you like a queen when you return home so you may rest. You and the doushenka need it after your work today!" North did not know what he said wrong, but at his words, her smile faded, and the strain and weariness in her expression seemed to intensify.
"It's just me and the little one. No one else." She said quietly, silently steeling herself for something.
North looked at her sympathetically. He did not know what circumstances would keep a father from his wife and little one; if she really was Missus Claus he would make a point to be her willing servant as long as it did not interfere with his duties to the children. A man should cherish his wife, particularly when she was with child and working so hard.
"Then you must be extra careful to get enough rest tonight." He told her gently. Just like that, her smile returned.
"Don't worry. I'll do my best on that score!"
The rest of the weekend was interesting, and it went by far too quickly in North's opinion. It was a blur of speaking to children, posing for photos, and small quiet breaks spent with the young woman who worked harder than any of his yeti did. There were moments when he couldn't help but think she worked harder than he did when it was the Christmas rush at the Pole.
On the second day, he discovered that her name was Faith. It was a name he approved of, because by that time, he could tell that she contained a great deal of it. She still had faith in Santa, that much was clear to North from her earlier comments. He was certain she still had faith in the other Guardians as well, but he did not feel it was his place to ask her.
At the end of their final day working together, North was feeling a bit saddened that he would not be working with her any longer. She was a good person. The world needed more like her.
"Hey, Santa?" She asked as they reached the employee break area, "I have something for you. One second, okay?" She scurried away to her locker, and when she returned she was holding a festive round tin that was red, printed with white snowflakes and brightly colored Christmas lights. She held it out to him with a smile.
"I did some of my holiday baking last night. There are snickerdoodles, chocolate chip cookies, jam thumbprints, and my family's special Christmas cookie. It's like a Russian tea cake with chocolate hidden inside." She explained as he took the tin, feeling touched. "The thumbprints might be a little wonky. This was the first year I tried making them, but they still came out pretty tasty."
"You did not have to go to the trouble-"
She laughed, shaking her head and waving off his protests. "It was no trouble at all. Besides. The children loved you, and you were amazing, stepping up and helping this weekend. I wish everyone who worked here was as wonderful a Santa as you are... But since you're the real deal, it's kind of hard for anyone to live up to you."
He gaped at her, and she laughed again.
"I remember you from when I was younger. You didn't think I could see you, but I did. I just... Thought it was polite to pretend not to, because I was getting my sister off the floor by the Christmas tree and carrying her to bed."
"And as you were leaving the room, you stopped and whispered thank you." Santa agreed. He remembered her. She had been on the verge of adolescence, wearing hand me down pajamas that were far too big for her, living in a tiny, miserable trailer that had been decorated with a scraggly tree, children's drawings, construction paper chains, popcorn garland, and homemade ornaments. The belief there was strong, and despite how little they had, the children had worked hard to bring home the spirit and magic of Christmas.
He also remembered the two or three cookies that were left out for him every year, and clutched the tin she had given him a little tighter. The buttery cookies with the chocolate tucked inside and rolled into powdered sugar while fresh from the baking had always been marvelous.
"That was me." She agreed. "I don't know why you're here in the mall when I know you have to be busy at the North Pole, but... Thank you. It meant a lot, to a lot of people."
"I wish to try to spend at least a little time with children, so I do not forget why I do what I do."
"That is a good thing to do."
"It is. But now, you must change so you can go home and rest. You and the doushenka need all the rest you can get, with Mama being such a work horse." He scolded fondly.
"All right, all right, I'm going!" She laughed. "Merry Christmas, Santa. And thank you again."
No, North thought as he watched her go back into the locker room where she would change. Thank YOU.
When he returned to the Pole and the work at hand, he tried to pace himself in regards to the cookies, but the tin was empty in less than twenty four hours. He thought longingly of the cookies in the few moments he had to himself, and of the smiling young woman who worked so hard for herself and her unborn babe. He asked Phil to see that a specific new gift was made for an old believer, who would be welcoming a new believer soon.
On Christmas Eve, he decided that, no matter where else he was when his duties ended, he would make Faith's house his last stop. He did not normally visit the homes of adults, but hers was going to be an exception.
When he finished with his last house, he pulled a snow globe from his overcoat, giving it a shake. He whispered her name to the globe, picturing her, before he stepped through the swirling portal.
He was shocked into immobility upon his arrival.
North had expected something homey, likely with a popcorn garland and construction paper chains decorating the walls or tree. A part of him had hoped she had improved in circumstances, that she had the gleaming store bought tinsel and glass decorations on an enormous, gorgeous tree.
Nothing could have prepared him for the smell of bleach and antiseptic, the cold sterility of the room or the soft beeping of machinery.
Faith was lying in a hospital bed, alone in a room lit only by the bright light of the moon shining through the windows. She was attached to softly beeping machines with tubes and wires.
"What has happened?" North couldn't help but cry out in dismay when he saw that the blanket draped form in the bed did not have the swollen stomach she had only a month before. She should be bigger, not smaller! He stepped closer, noting how pale she was, almost as pale as the snow falling outside. She managed to open her eyes, and give him a faint smile that was a poor shadow of the bright shining ones she had given him before.
"Hey, Santa. Didn't expect to see you here." Her voice was weak and whisper soft. North hurried to her side, setting his sack gently on the floor.
"I did not expect to be visiting you in a hospital. What has happened to you? And the little doushenka? Where-?"
"She's in the NICU. Neonatal intensive care unit. She decided she needed to be a Christmas baby." Her eyes and smile brightened a moment. "Her name is Noelle. Thought it was appropriate." The smile faded and her eyes slid slowly shut. "We didn't come through it so well, Santa." She admitted quietly.
"My friends call me North." He corrected quietly, spotting a chair and pulling it so he could sit beside the bed. He took one of her hands in his once he was settled, feeling how cold she was.
"Hm?"
"My name is Nicholas St. North." He explained. "Other spirits call me North. Mostly the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, Jack Frost."
"Jack Frost nipping at your nose." She murmured, a smile tugging at the very corners of her lips, but her eyes still didn't open again.
"Ha! He hates that song." North managed a smile of his own. "He is a cut up. Trickster spirit. Likes to have fun. But nipping at noses, not so much. He likes snowballs in the face."
She let out a laugh that was more a brief exhalation of air. "Sounds better than nipping at noses. More fun."
"That is his center. Fun. He makes certain children have fun, remember how, even when things are bad. Likes to bring snow days."
"Snow days were great when I was a kid. As an adult... Not so much." She admitted, cracking her eyes open. Her smile faded. "Hey... You still taking Christmas requests?"
He felt his heart ache as a crack appeared there. "Well," He was able to force a convincing smile, "Is a bit late to make changes to wish list, but I can make exception." He held up a finger. "Just this once."
The action got her to smile briefly, but it faded away quickly. "I'm asking for a Christmas miracle."
His own smile faded. "You wish to be better to take care of little Noelle."
"That would be nice, but no. I just... I wish... Want her to grow up healthy. Strong. It's too much to wish for both of us. I can muddle through, but she's a baby. She needs all the help she can get. Even if... Even if I... If I don't make it, it's okay. As long as she's okay."
His smile wasn't forced, but it was oh so sad. He realized he was fighting back tears. So many people were selfish these days, and so many people would think only of themselves, but mothers could be incredibly selfless creatures where their children were concerned. Faith, even though she had not been a mother long, was no exception.
"I will see what I can do." He promised her. "For now, I will sit with you. If you do not mind."
"I don't mind. Might fall asleep though." She warned him.
"Is all right." He assured her. "Sleep is good for healing. And you should not be alone. Not on Christmas."
"But you have to go deliver gifts for the kids." She opened her eyes again, struggling to keep them open. She looked so concerned at that realization. "It's Christmas. You have to."
"I made all deliveries all ready." He assured her. "All but one." He held up a finger again, before he lightly touched her chest. "I saved best for last."
She looked relieved, but was prevented from saying anything further by the arrival of a harried looking nurse, who managed a sad smile of her own for Faith, even as she tried to sound both cheerful and helpful. Hopeful. The nurse couldn't see him, of course. She was an adult, and had likely stopped believing a long time before. North couldn't help but feel another pang in his heart, regret at what was lost when mortals grew. How much they forgot, how they stopped seeing wonder in the things around them.
The nurse checked the machines and tubs and wires, asking Faith a few questions, earning barely audible whispered responses. She left a moment and returned with some medications, needles, bags of fluid to hang from the pole by the bed. She injected medication into some of the tubes, telling Faith it would help with the pain. Whether it did or didn't North wasn't certain; whatever the medication was, it made Faith's eyes roll back and she was asleep almost immediately. Well. Unconscious. Asleep was far too generous a word for it.
North remained with her for an hour, before he heard the familiar sound of a hole opening up in the floor.
"Oi, North, you..." Bunny trailed off as he emerged from his tunnel and took in the hospital room. "... All right?" He edged closer to North, who looked over at him, never releasing Faith's hand. "What's goin' on here, mate?"
"Is the girl who worked with me when I went to see the children at the mall. The baby came early. She is not doing so well." North said, careful to keep his voice down. "I thought you would be at Pole with Tooth, Sandy, Frost. Enjoying party."
"Ain't much of a party when the guest of honor doesn't show up. Particularly when he's the host." Bunny pointed out. "Your yeti and elves are all in a tizzy. Best finish up here and get back to the Pole before they send a rescue party." Bunny warned him.
"I cannot go yet." North shook his head. "I need to be here a little longer." The moon seemed to shine a bit more brightly for a moment, and North gently released Faith's hand, understanding the message. "Well. In other room. Where babies are. There will be no windows in there, so it will be harder for Manny to help. This is one Christmas wish I need help with, to turn it into a Christmas miracle, which is what we need." North sighed heavily, the ache in his heart growing as the crack widened. "It is also a Christmas wish I do not want to grant." He placed his hand lightly on Faith's head a moment, brushing back a limp blonde curl. She didn't stir, and Bunny stepped forward silently, placing one of his large paw like hands on North's shoulder.
"I'll go with you. Hope never hurts miracles any, only helps 'em along. Still. Might be best to send word back to the Pole. Let them know you're all right. And that you’ve got a bit to do here."
"There is no time. They can worry a little longer." North turned his head to look at Bunny. "Thank you. And... You are right. Miracles all need hope. Particularly this one." He started walking towards the door, picking up his sack and pausing a moment, before he set it down once more and opened it, drawing out a few items which he left by the side of Faith's hospital bed. The nurses would puzzle over how the intricately carved wooden cradle with the tag gifting it to Faith had come to be there, but that was all right. A little mystery was a good thing. There was also a soft, velvety stuffed bear, just right for a baby to snuggle with. North looked at the bear and the cradle a moment, before he left the room with Bunny, knowing that he would never see the woman inside it ever give him that dazzling smile again.
That knowledge made the crack grow a bit more, until his heart was nearly breaking, the pain of it bringing tears to his eyes. She had been so happy about the baby, excited about life for her and her child, even if it was just the two of them. The excitement was gone now, replaced by a burning desire to see the child survive, even at the cost of her own life.
It was not something he could accept easily, but it was something that he could understand. Children were important.
He and Bunny followed the signs, passing unseen by the doctors and nurses until they reached the NICU. The sight of all the machines, including all the covered incubators with the tiny stockings hanging on them, nearly made North begin to weep.
"No little 'un should be here in Christmas. Not a one of ‘em should be like this." Bunny said quietly.
"No." North agreed. "No little one should. No parent should know that their child is here, barely clinging to life. They should be healthy. Rosy cheeked chubby babies, growing in the arms of loving families. Not these sickly little ones growing in machines. A place like this should not exist. There should be no children born like this." He reached the incubator he was looking for, and lifted a side of the cover on the incubator, revealing an infant with tubes and wires sticking from her. North knew she was not terribly premature, only a little more than a month early, but he could see that there were other things wrong with her. She was as pale as a wax doll, and seemed as fragile as a butterfly made from gossamer and spun glass.
"Poor little mite." Bunny said, touching the side of the incubator. "Bad heart, and a few other necessary bits." He guessed. When it came to children, the Guardians of Childhood could generally tell which of them was ill, or had a failing organ, or an internal deformation or invisible illness. It was a curse at times. "So her Mum in there wished for 'er to get better? Might be a miracle, but I don't see why it would be one you don't want to grant."
"Because Faith offered herself so the little one can live, grow to be healthy and strong." North pulled a different sort of snow globe from his pocket, a type Bunny had not seen before. "Adult believers are rare, and she is a good young woman. The wish and the offer, they make sense, but..." He trailed off.
"You started getting attached." Bunny finished quietly. "Rule seven, North."
"Rule seven does not factor into this." North countered as he shook the snow globe. "Well. Much."
"The only reason rule seven ain't a part of this is because you're going ahead and helping with that Christmas miracle of hers." Bunny frowned. "That ain't one of your regular snow globes." He pointed out warily.
"It is not a globe to make a door. This globe makes a window." He held the globe to his lips to whisper into it. "Let Manny see." He tossed the snow globe and it shattered on the floor, a large portal forming so the moonlight could shine through onto the baby, without transporting any of them.
Nothing happened for a few minutes, and then, in the incubator, the still form of the baby began to take on more color. She stretched, thin wrinkled limbs flailing, her face scrunching up as color slowly flooded her body and she let out the soft hacking sound that was the precursor to the cries of a newborn. The machines began to make different sounds, and North stepped back as the light faded, pulling the cover down over the incubator.
"We are done here." He said with a bittersweet smile as the moonlight faded and the window that his snow globe had opened vanished. "It is too late to say goodbye to her, but there are other little ones here. Santa Claus should visit them as well."
Bunny gave a sad nod. "I'll get back." Two nurses were hurrying into the room, and the two Spirits stepped away from the incubator, "I'll let Phil know to tell the others to stand down, that you're spreading a bit of Christmas cheer."
"And mourning the loss of one I would have considered a friend." North agreed.
"And that." Bunny hesitated. "North?"
"Da?"
"I'm sorry. It couldn't have worked, but... I'm still sorry."
"She was one of my strongest believers." North shook his head sadly. "I did not know. Did not realize that she was an adult. I did not realize she had seen me when she was a little one, but she carried that memory, said she used it to help spread the magic for the littles." He saw Bunny's amused look. "It is what she called the children. Ah, and she worked so hard to do so. As heavy with child as she was, she was still there, working with the pretend Santa to help the children believe. They believed a bit too much; decided she could not be a helper, big as she was. The children all called her Missus Claus and-" He stopped abruptly, blue eyes going wide, just as Bunny's green eyes widened. Realization was a lightning bolt that hit them both at once straight out of the blue.
"Missus Claus!" The both repeated.
"With belief strong as it is this time of year, get enough children to believe in her-"
"-Manny would need to bring her back. Hah! He knew! Manny knew! Bunny! No one will look for you. Can you wait with her, wait until she is a spirit? I must visit the children still, but I will tell them the visits must be short, because-"
"-Because your missus is at home waiting with your after Christmas dinner or a fresh tray of cookies or mince pie or sommat." Bunny taped his foot twice on the floor, before he was gone, scampering swiftly through his tunnels to take him to Faith, while Nicholas St. North began a hurried campaign to convince children that there truly was a Missus Claus waiting for him at the North Pole when he finished his rounds.
When he finished, he paid one more visit to the NICU, and smiled to see Faith standing outside a window that looked into the now busy room with the babies in their incubators and other assorted machines. Faith was in a pale blue-gray hospital gown that was too large for her, tied tightly shut in the back but still slipping down off one thin shoulder.
"She'll be all right?" Faith was asking.
"Right as rain. Manny and North fixed it so she'll grow up strong and healthy." Bunny was assuring her.
"Manny?"
"The Man in the Moon. He's a complicated sort to explain, but... He sort of helps choose people who can become spirits."
She snorted. "You mean people like me?"
"Eh, well, you were probably a special case and all, but yeah. People like you. People like me, like North, and quite a few others."
"Well, at least I’m in good company."
"Good company indeed." North smiled in relief, causing the two to turn. Bunny grinned at him, while Faith gave him a shining smile.
"Hey, Santa. Managed to find a loophole in the fine print of that Christmas miracle, huh?"
“Well, it was very small loophole. Might have missed it if not for Bunny. Here. That gown can not be very warm or comfortable." North shrugged off his big red coat and held it out to Faith, who smiled wryly and turned to let him help her shrug the coat on.
"Good call, because it isn't." She bit her lip, before looking up at him. "Missus Claus?"
"Well... It was the best way to get the children to believe. And they already believed after seeing you helping the Santa at the mall."
"... Can I maybe start out as Santa's housekeeper and see how things go from there?" She asked him curiously, earning a laugh of joy from North.
"Of course." He assured her, offering her his arm. "Now come! We have a party to go to at the North Pole!"