A man with icicles in his white hair stood in front of an icy coffin. Engraved in scrolling gold letters on top of the coffin was the name Noelle. In the coffin lay a woman with jet black hair and blood red lips. Her eyelids were tattooed with holly. Pale skin stretched over high cheekbones. Around her neck was a pearl and amber choker.
    The man standing in front of the coffin with his head bowed and frozen tears fell from his eyes. Ice was forming around his pale lips as he brokenly murmured, “One day Noelle, you will walk the snows with me again. I promise.”
    “You shouldn’t come here everyday Jack,” an aged man sagely informed from the white doorway.
    “She can still hear me Father Time,” Jack replied brokenly.
    “Seeing her everyday isn’t healthy for you,” Father Time insisted.
    “If I don’t visit my sister, who will?”
    “The two of you aren’t alone,” Father Time insisted again.
    Jack’s thin lips sneered as he turned to face Father Time. “For someone who has been around since The Beginning you don’t know everything. Or is it that you have forgotten,” Jack harshly retorted.
    Father Time shook his grey head and closed his ancient blue eyes. “Jack, we are all still here. Just in different aspects than our pasts,” Father Time explained softly.
    A glittering teardrop fell from Jack’s clear eyes as he bitterly shot back, “Sixty years ago she danced beautifully on the snowflakes! Now the mortals couldn’t tell you her name! How am I not supposed to be biter,” Jack asked hotly.
    “Jack, time will heal all,” Father Time sagely assured.
    Jack violently shook his head as he spat, “Not this time, Father Time. Unless they return to the old ways never will Noelle slide down the snowbanks again,” Jack bitterly assured.
    “Times change Mr. Frost,” a mellow female voice said from outside the room.
    “Mother Nature,” Jack sneered.
    “You’re young by our standards Mr. Frost. But not by the world’s. You know these things, why can you not accept them?”
    “Because out of all of us she is the only one who ever cared for me. Noelle is kind, gentle, and caring. Not to mention free spirited and fun loving. My sister doesn’t deserve to be forgotten by the fleeting memories of mortals,” Jack stubbornly insisted as icicles began to form in his short locks.
    “Jack, she will dance again,” Father Time benevolently guaranteed.
    Jack angrily shook his head as he stormed past Mother Nature and Father Time leaving a light trail of fallen snow in his wake.
    Mother Nature bowed her vine tangled hair in the wake of Jack’s icy anger as Father time sadly shook his elderly head. “How do we thaw Jack’s frozen bitterness,” Mother Nature asked Father Time.
    “With time he will see that the mortals will remember the joyfulness that Noelle embodied. Until then all we can do is keep Noelle surrounded by warm hope and soft thoughts,” Father Time positively stated.
    “Jack won’t accept that Father Time. We have to be able to tell him something more than that,” Mother Nature quietly insisted as a cool wind swept the snow away.
    With hunched shoulders Father Time closed his eyes as he stood in front of the frozen Noelle Frost. “I don’t know what to tell him,” Father Time whispered as a tear trailed down his paper thin face.
    “Do you think Mr. or Mrs. Claus could help,” Mother Nature gently asked.
    “They could try. Unfortunately I think it would only increase Jack’s bitterness. After all Mrs. Claus has gained in popularity where Noelle has lost,” he sadly explained.
    Mother Nature shook her head as she joined Father Time in front of Noelle Frost. As the two stood silent watch over the frozen youth, multicolored leaves fell to the floor around them.

***

    
    Snow was falling heavily around the sparkling house on the hill. Of all the houses on the North Pole this one stood out the most. Multicolored lights were reflecting off the falling snow like a rainbow of diamonds in the sun. Smoke was coming from the chimney and golden lights glowed in the windows.
    In the arched doorway Mother Nature stood wrapped in a cloak of leaves. She stood there until a small figure in green opened the door and chirpily greeted, “Mother Nature! What brings you here?”
    Mother Nature smiled patiently and replied, “Hello Trixie. Are Mr. and Mrs. Claus in?”
    Trixie energetically nodded as she directed, “They’re in the main study. He’s going over his list.”
    Mother Nature smiled at Trixie as she thanked the little elf. Trixie’s ears turned a bright red as she disappeared.
    With a fond smile Mother Nature shook her head as she made her way to the most famous study in the world. After a polite knock on the stone entryway Mother Nature heard a jovial, “Enter.”
    Mother Nature glided into the cozy study like a gentle spring breeze. “Hello Santa and Mrs. Claus,” she politely greeted.
    “Mother Nature! What a nice surprise,” Mrs. Claus exclaimed.
    “What’s wrong old friend,” Santa asked from his wingback chair.
    “What makes you think something’s wrong,” Mother Nature asked.
    “I smell rain in the air,” Santa wisely answered.
    Mother Nature bowed her curly, vine entangled head. “Can you talk to Jack,” she pleaded softly.
     “He’s still visiting Noelle than?”
    “Worse. He’s getting bitter,” Mother Nature gravely informed her old friend.
    “Oh no,” Mrs. Claus whispered as her chocolatey eyes began to shine.
    “He could make winter bitterly cold for all of us if he doesn’t accept that people and things change,” Mother Nature quietly explained.
    “I know old friend. But, what can we do,” Santa worriedly asked.
    “You and Mrs. Claus are the most magical of the winter beings. Surely you can do something,” Mother Nature pleaded the crackling fire emphasized her hope.
    Santa sat contemplatively, his list forgotten, as he pondered what he could do. Slowly the twinkle returned to Santa’s eyes. “Trying to talk to Jack wouldn’t do any good. However, there is something that can be done. It would take you, me, and Father Time,” Santa told Mother Nature conspiratorially.
    Mother Nature cocked her head to the side as she asked, “What do you have in mind?”
    “Let me have one of the elves call Father Time. It’s best if we discuss this when we are all together,” Santa gravely stated. Mother Nature looked at Santa with confusion as one of the elves called for Father Time. 
    Mrs. Claus walked across the study and put a hand on Santa’s right should as she leaned in and whispered softly to him. Mrs. Claus then walked out of the room with a homely smile towards Mother Nature. Mother Nature smiled graciously at her hostess and continued to stare at Santa in confusion.
    The crackling flames in the fireplace roared loudly in the silence. Santa and Mother Nature stared into the flames as though they contained the answers to their problems. Slowly the fire glowed brighter as a black square with symmetrical lines formed in the center of the flames.
    Slowly the square grew larger in size until it covered the flames. Once the square stabilized an elderly form stepped through the square as spryly as Santa went down a smooth chimney.
    “Show off,” Mother Nature whispered with a fond smile.
    The form bent form straightened as he was able and gave a warm smile to Santa before asking, “You had something that you wanted to talk about?”
    “I’m hoping you could help me with something, Father Time.
    “Mother Nature has told me the sad state that Jack Frost has fallen into and I think there may be a way we can help him,” Santa finished mysteriously.
    “What did you have in mind,” his ancient voice cracked. 
    As his guests stood waiting on him, Santa smiled and replied, “We turn Jack into a child.” Santa’s smile never left his face as he gave his solution.
    Mother Nature’s eyes widened as the vines in her hair went vibrant green to brittle brown. Father Time had a few white hairs turn chestnut brown. “That’s.....” Father Time muttered.
    “I think I need to sit down,” Mother Nature mumbled. 
    Two chairs appeared out of the air for the mythical beings to sit upon as they watched Santa grin. With a jovial chuckle Santa explained, “Between the three of us we have the willpower to bind Jack’s memories and turn him into a mortal child temporarily. He needs to remember how to play. With a little luck not only will we get Jack back, but Noelle as well.”
    Mother Nature stared into space for a moment before whispering, “My only question is how would he return to us?”
    “Bind his memories to something precious. When he remembers what it is like to be a child and play the spell would lift automatically,” Santa firmly stated.
    “Who would watch over him,” Father Time asked sagely.
    Santa gave a half smile as he calmly answered, “Old friend, I was hoping you would take over the role as his grandfather.”
    Father Time chuckled and smiled as he replied, “Count me in. I haven’t spent time with the mortals that decide our fate in years.”
    Mother Nature smiled as bright as a summer sun to signify her agreement to Santa’s rather outlandish plan.        

    Jack’s youthful face was framed with spiky white-blond hair. He sat in a bay window staring at gently falling snow. A frown marred his youthful feature as tears lined his blue eyes. He was clutching a heavy silver locket in his hand.
    He watched as the neighborhood kids bundled up in heavy coats built snowmen and forts. One snowball and then another flew past the window. Jack could barely make out the raucous laughter of the children. Shaking his head violently, Jack wiped the tears from his eyes.
    Looking up from the window Jack noticed that Grandpa Frank was watching him with a sorrowful expression on his weathered face. “Why don’t you go out and play Jack?”
    “I want to go home, Grandpa Frank. I miss playing with Noelle,” his young voice squeaked.
    Grandpa Frank shook his head as he explained, “Your parents aren’t going to be home Jack. Between their work and sitting at the hospital with Noelle your parents thought that it would be easier if you stayed with me for a while.”
    “It’s not fair! Noelle should be playing with me too,” Jack whined.
    “She’s sick Jack. You know that. Now why don’t you go play with the other kids; Noelle wouldn’t want you to stop playing,” Grandpa Frank insisted.
    “It’s not the same without her Grandpa Frank,” Jack cried plaintively as his tears finally fell.
    Grandpa Frank sighed as he sat next to Jack. Pulling Jack into his lap, Grandpa Frank held him close as he cried himself to sleep. Never once did Jack let go of the silver locket at his neck.     
    “She’ll get better Jack. I promise,” Grandpa Frank whispered into his white-blond head.
    On the other side of the room a fire sprang to life in the fireplace casting a reddish-orange glow across the room. Grandpa Frank had a ghost of a smile on his face as he cuddled Jack in his thin arms.
    Carefully rocking his grandson Frank silently prayed that he would be okay. Before Grandpa Frank could finish his silent prayer Jack woke with a start. “When did you light a fire Grandpa Frank?”
    With a wink to Jack, Frank pulled a small, rectangular remote from his pants pocket and said, “Don’t tell. I cheated.”
    Jack smiled wanly and decided, “I think I’ll go to my room for a bit grandpa.”
    “What about going out to play, Jack?”
    Jack shook his head and sadly whispered, “Not without Noelle, grandpa.”
    The last thing Jack heard as he left the room was a low sigh from grandpa. Jack quickly made his way to the stairs. Once he climbed the red carpeted stairs Jack went down the little hallway and into his room.
    Grandpa Frank had lived in this house for as long as Jack could remember. He and Noelle even had their own rooms here. Noelle’s room had a green door with sprigs of ivy painted on it. Jack’s room had a blue door with white icicles etched into it.
    Jack loved icicles. His bed had icicles and snowflakes on the cover and pillows; he even had icicle action figures. The only thing that Jack owned without icicles on it was his silver locket. In it there was a picture of his twin sister - Noelle.
    Jack sat on his icicle shaped bed and opened his locket once more. He watched longingly as Noelle danced her heart away in the snow. “I wish you were better Noelle. The snow isn’t the same without you,” he whispered as tears stained his young cheeks.
    A loud crash startled Jack into looking up. Disbelief carved itself into Jack’s sad features as he saw a snowball in the middles of broken glass on the floor. “What,” he exclaimed.
    Jack tiptoed around the broken glass and approached the window. Before looking out the window he heard a merry whistle. With confusion Jack peeked out of the now broken window only to see Grandpa Frank waving at him from below.
    Dropping his jaw, Jack exclaimed, “Grandpa! Why did you do that?”
    “It got your attention, didn’t it,” Grandpa Frank hollered up at him.
    Jack cocked his head and frowned as one of the neighborhood kids ran up to Grandpa Frank. Jack watched as his grandpa and the kid talked animatedly. The kid looked at grandpa and then up at Jack. The kid waved and yelled, “Do you want to come play with us?”
    Not knowing what to do Jack shook his head at the scene below him and backed away from the window. Jack surveyed his now messy room and frowned deeply. This time there were no tears in his eyes.
    Grumbling to himself Jack left the room and walked to the bathroom at the end of the hall. He grabbed the broom and dustpan as well as the trash bin. When he got back to the room Jack noticed that the door was open. Looking inside he saw Grandpa Frank sitting on his bed with a half smile on his face.
    “Grandpa, you broke my window.”
    “I know. I’ll clean it up too, don’t worry.
    “You need to relax Jack. Why don’t you at least go sit outside,” grandpa hinted.
    With a sigh accentuating his slumped shoulders Jack made his way downstairs once more. Jack knew that if he didn’t at least go outside Grandpa Frank would keep pestering him until he did. 
    While shaking his head at Grandpa Frank’s antics he went to the hall closet and pulled out his heavy blue winter coat and snow boots. As he was snapping the icicle buttons Jack heard Grandpa Frank coming down the stairs.
    So Grandpa Frank would see him outside Jack quickly went out the door. Once he closed the door Jack was blinded by the light reflected off the blanket of snow. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the other kids playing in the snow.
    Before he could start to cry Jack sat on the stoop. With his elbows on his knees Jack watched as two kids skated on the street where someone had loosened a hydrant. In two different yards kids were building snowmen; at the base of the snowmen were snow angels.
    These made Jack smile. Last year Jack remembered Noelle making a chain of snow angels that circled the snowmen. Their dad had even dressed up like Santa and pulled up in a sleigh - Jack still hadn’t figured out how his dad had managed to hide the motor of the sleigh.
As Jack remembered the last winter before Noelle fell ill he started to smile. 
    “Hi,” a boy’s voice greeted, startling Jack.
    Jack sourly smiled at the boy. “My name’s Nicholas. What’s yours?”
    “Jack,” was the bitter reply.