Disclaimer: I do not own the Santa Clause trilogy or any of it characters, places, or other relative ideas. The only characters I own are Crys and Rachelle.

A/N: Sorry it's been a little while since my last update; I've been busy trying to wrap up some of my other stories. However, I want to thank gianagi3, tortue0711, and Lily for reviewing my story so far. Now, I hope you enjoy the next chapter, but beware: there is trouble brewing (and maybe something to do with Bernard)!

Chapter 4: Sabotage

After exploring the factory and the kitchen—which was exceptionally large and beyond what Rachelle imagined it would be—Bernard escorted Rachelle upstairs to her room. He was very quiet and serious as he walked through the hallways with her and he reminded her of a stoic guardian of some sort.

"So...are you like this all the time?" Rachelle asked him. She could barely stand the heavy silence. There was no one else up there but the two of them, which only made it more awkward. After a long minute, she figured he wasn't going to answer her.

"You'd better get used to it," he said calmly, proving her suspicions right. Rachelle frowned and glared at his back, as though she could literally throw daggers with her eyes. Well, if that's the way you want it, she thought bitterly. They took a couple more turns—it made her feel as if she were stuck inside a maze—and finally arrived in front of a colorful glass door. Bernard pushed the door open and gestured to the interior.

"Thank you," Rachelle said to him as nicely as she could before entering the room.

"My pleasure," Bernard replied sarcastically, clearly meaning the opposite. She glanced around quickly and then turned. Somehow, she managed to slip on the shaggy red rug that rested beneath her feet. All at once, she flew forward and Bernard caught her before she could hit the floor. They stayed like that for a moment, Rachelle leaning into him, only inches away and Bernard—for once—looking genuinely concerned as he studied her. She had never noticed before just how warm his eyes really were and they were staring into hers with great intensity. Impulsively, she wondered if he might try to kiss her, but she buried that thought quickly. Like a whirlwind, the concern left his face, leaving no trace that it had ever been there, and it was replaced with the no-nonsense expression he usually wore.

"Good job. Do you have any experience with walking?" Rachelle pulled away from him and brushed herself off carefully. Irritation rushed through her and she knew from experience it was difficult to control her emotions.

"It wasn't my fault," she argued. "It was the rug." She pointed down at the red rug in distaste. Bernard shook his head in disbelief as she began to pout.

"Oh, right. The rug just happened to trip you on purpose," he shot back at her, an amused grin plastered on his face. Rachelle narrowed her eyes angrily at him. Bernard ignored her stare and left the room, closing the door sharply behind him. She could see his figure through the frosted window for a moment and then he was gone. Or is he? She wondered as she remembered that he was her "guardian". Slowly, she ducked her head out of the room, but all she saw was an empty hallway. She breathed a sigh of relief and shut the door once more.

"Forget him," Rachelle muttered aloud to herself. "Who needs him anyway?" She tossed all thoughts of Bernard out the window and surveyed her new room. It was a good size; not too big and not too small. There was a medium sized bed in the center with a white canopy falling around it. On the bed were some clothes from Crys and she hurriedly changed into them, hoping no one could see her through the frosted window of her door.

A bedside table held a small lamp and a plate of cookies. Rachelle eagerly grabbed one and nibbled on it; it tasted like vanilla. To her left, there was a balcony, opened so she could see out towards the courtyard below. She supposed she liked the room; it was better than most places she had lived in.

Her thoughts suddenly took a swift turn and settled on Jack. He was one interesting person, someone she would definitely like to know better. He even had a bit of a mischievous side and she had recognized it almost immediately. So, why is he with Crys? He's much too good for someone like her, she thought with a small streak of jealousy. She imagined Jack being with her instead and she liked the pictures that she was seeing in her mind. All she had to do was dig her hooks into him, but how? The answer came to her instantly and it was something only she would have the guts to do: sabotage the wedding.

"Okay, I think the cake should be a little bigger, don't you? And the frosting-" Crys was going on, adding small touches to the wedding cake that the people in the kitchen had made for her. Some of them were gazing at her incredulously as she laid out a list for them. Flour, frosting, and chocolate covered their aprons, making them appear as if they had just survived a food fight. Rachelle sneaked into the kitchen and stopped behind Crys without her noticing.

"Hi, Crys," Rachelle said loudly into Crys's ear. Instead of the surprised reaction she was expecting, Crys nodded at her without looking and just ignored her, too busy frantically gesturing towards her cake.

"—and maybe a hint of blue to match my dress. The small designs there are good—"

"Crys!" Rachelle screeched at the girl and she whipped around, her eyes as wide as saucers.

"What?" Crys exclaimed irritably, her voice filling the entire kitchen. Several heads turned to look directly at her. It was Rachelle's turn to be shocked; clearly this wedding had already taken a toll on Crys. She realized it was Rachelle and her shoulders slumped in distress.

"Sorry. I'm just so busy making the preparations and I just want that day to be absolutely perfect. Isn't it amazing? I've changed from a rebellious teenager to a worried bride-to-be in so little time," Crys said in a tired voice while brushing her knotted red hair back from her face. Rachelle eyed the cake curiously and then flashed one of her most charming smiles.

"The cake looks fine to me. I think you just need a break. Let's go get something to eat," she suggested, shoving Crys in front of her and away from the cake. The bakers were rushing around the kitchen and only occasionally stopping to glance at the cake. When neither of them were looking, Rachelle tipped one of the tiers that held up the upper layers of the cake so that it was leaning dangerously. Oh, the cake looks fine, now. Too bad it will be a mess soon.

Rachelle led Crys to a table that offered various types of food like biscuits, small cakes, sandwiches, and the vanilla cookies she had tasted earlier. They each filled a plate with sandwiches and a couple of treats and sat down across from each other. From where she was sitting, Rachelle had a perfect view of the wedding cake as it started to tilt just the slightest bit.

"You know, I really shouldn't be eating all these sweets. I probably won't even fit into my dress," Crys said with a small laugh, picking at one of her cookies. Rachelle reached over and took the girl's hand.

"Think of it like comfort food. Trust me, it'll make you feel better. By the way, you haven't even showed me your dress yet," Rachelle hinted. Crys's eyes lit up at the mention of her dress.

"Oh, wait until you see it! It's icy blue and it is beautiful. This is coming from a girl who would gag at the thought of wearing a dress," Crys said excitedly. She almost seemed like the old Crys that Rachelle knew before David had succumbed to cancer. Rachelle glanced over Crys's shoulder and saw the cake beginning to tilt towards the right.

"So, did you ever think you'd be getting married like this?" she asked Crys as she bit down into her turkey sandwich. It was one of the most delicious sandwiches Rachelle had ever eaten and she couldn't help but wolf it down.

"No, never," Crys admitted as a rosy tint lightly filled her face. "I mean, I still miss the days when we caused trouble, you know. Now, I think I'm almost ready for this. I'm happy with Jack, happier than I've ever been in a long time," she explained before taking a small bite out of her vanilla cookie.

"That's good to know," Rachelle commented with a wide grin. For a second, she almost regretted what was coming, but she knew it was far too late. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a small girl lift the wedding cake and start to carry it away. Before she could take three steps, the layers of the cake finally tilted to the breaking point and fell until they splattered messily on the kitchen floor.

Well, that takes the cake! /= I hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter and I promise to have more soon for you! Don't forget to review and tell me what you think: without those reviews, it makes it harder for me to think up the next great chapter.