Disclaimer: I do not own the Santa Clause trilogy whatsoever (and that includes Jack Frost…). However, I do own my OCs Crys and Rachelle. That's good enough for me.
A/N: Thanks for the reviews, guys! Luckily, it didn't take me so long to update. Well, I hope you enjoy the chapter! (=
Chapter 9: Secrets
The enormous entrance doors burst open, making a few of the late night workers jump in surprise at the unexpected sound. The crash echoed through the hall, leaving behind thick silence. Now that it was getting late, the lights had dimmed down slightly, casting unnatural shadows on the faces of the small children. Rachelle ignored their curious eyes as she pushed past them, aiming for the stairs. Toys fell with short thuds to the floor as each child paid less attention to their stations and focused their wide eyes on her. God, why do they always stare at me like I'm a strange science project?
Reaching the polished gold banister of the staircase, her mind turned to Bernard. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she was having mixed feelings about him. That moment between them on the roof had been something different, something that had amazed her. Then, like a cold and swift wind, it had all been swept away. After that, Bernard returned to acting distant and indifferent towards her.
There were times when he could be polite, nice, and easy to talk to. Those were the times when she even somewhat liked him. Still, it usually wasn't long before his cold behavior came back. It was too much, trying to break through that hard shell of his. Well, fine. It's not like I actually care about what he does or how he behaves, anyway, she thought as she began to climb the stairs.
"Well, look at you! You're not covered in cake anymore," a voice called out from somewhere close by. It was a voice that she recognized immediately, one that made every thought about Bernard fade away, leaving only a secret smile on her lips.
Turning from where she stood on the second step, she met Jack's cool blue eyes. He was leaning against the banister, a smile lifting the corners of his mouth. She hadn't even heard him approach her and all of a sudden he was there, as if by magic. Her heart pounded in her chest as she scrambled for a response.
"Which do you prefer? With or without cake?" Rachelle's fingers held on tightly to the smooth banister. Even she was astounded at the suggestive tone in her voice. She watched as a quick gleam of interest surfaced in Jack's eyes. For a brief moment, they traveled up and down her figure as if he were seriously considering her question.
"Most definitely without," he answered in a velvety voice that shot a thrill through her body, all the way into her toes and fingertips. She imagined the small ounce of regret she had felt for practically ruining Crys's wedding. I take it back, she impulsively countered the regret. I still want him…In her head, she pictured Jack taking hold of one of her hands and kissing it lightly, just like Leonardo DiCaprio did to Kate Winslet in Titanic.
"So, how was it watching the nighttime stars with Bernard?" Jack's change in subject shook Rachelle out of her dreamy thoughts. Her smile froze as she slowly processed what he asked her. His expression appeared to be as calm as if he were talking about the weather. Inside, Rachelle was anything but calm. How does he know about that? Did he follow us? Oh no…what if he thinks I'm actually interested in Bernard? Her thoughts were whirling around her head like a rollercoaster.
"How did you know that?" At least she managed to get one sensible question out and in a not so shaky voice as well. At least it didn't sound shaky to her. Her smile slipped away into a frown as suspicion and confusion overwhelmed her. Gently lifting a hand, she brushed back a piece of her blond hair from her forehead, which she realized was damp with sweat. Jack maintained his composure and shrugged.
"You're not the only one with secrets. This place is full of them," his stated, his eyes roaming around the main hall in emphasis. Rachelle's pulse quickened as his words echoed through her head. You're not the only one with secrets…Was it possible that Jack knew what she was up to, messing up Crys's wedding in a chance to get him? Or was he assuming that she was having a "secret thing" with Bernard? Neither one was entirely pleasing to her. And what did he mean by saying this place had secrets?
Rachelle's shock must have been written all over her face. Jack's eyes softened and, as though he had read her mind, lifted one of her hands to his lips, the skin of her hand feeling cool against them.
"I must be going. Checking on Crys, you know," he said, lowering her hand. Rachelle attempted to smile, but it seemed forced even to her. No matter what, everything always came back around to Crys. Always. Without another word, Jack ascended the stairs and left Rachelle alone to her unwelcome thoughts.
…
Crys closed the closet door in her bedroom, a deep frown covering her face. Out of the desire to see herself in her wedding dress again, she had tried it on. It had felt just like it had the other ten times she had tried it on, except for when the zipper in the back refused to close. Crys had pulled on the zipper until her hands hurt with the effort, but it was no use. It's because of all those tasty sweets jack has been giving me, she realized as she gazed at the new basket of chocolates that was sitting on the fluffy blue blanket on her bed. This isn't good…somehow I'll have to lose that extra weight before the wedding.
As if her stress and worrying had summoned him, the door of her room swung open and Jack stepped inside. He smiled warmly when he saw her, his blue eyes practically glowing. Instantly, her frown vanished; they haven't had a moment alone together in a while. She had missed him like she would miss the air she breathed.
"You look stressed. Let me take care of that," he said as he pulled her into his arms and planted small icy kisses on her neck. Oh, how much she had missed him. Instinctively, she craned her neck carefully to the right so it was more exposed.
"I missed you," she admitted, voicing her thoughts. Jack lifted his head so that he could gaze into her eyes. In response, he kissed her and almost made all her troubles slip away into the back of her mind. After kissing him back, she gently pulled away from him with a wide smile. "Your friend seems to be getting close to Bernard," he told her, his blue eyes wandering to the basket of chocolates.
"Really?" Seeing Rachelle with Bernard, she never imagined that she had felt anything for him except distaste. This was news to her, but it made her happy to know Rachelle might find someone special here, just like she had found Jack. "Well, it's about time she finds someone good. She hasn't exactly had it easy since…" Her voice trailed off. Even though she had found happiness with Jack, it was still difficult to talk about David. He had been her best friend, after all. Jack nodded to show he understood. He had been the one she opened up to and he knew how much it still hurt her.
"You know, you really need to stop sending me those baskets of food. Soon I won't even be able to fit into my dress at all," she pointed out, hoping to change the subject. The sheer confusion on his face told her something wasn't right.
"Crys? I haven't sent you any of those," he said, pointing to the brightly colored basket on her bed. Crys stared at it and then moved her eyes back to Jack. It didn't make sense; of course he had to be the one who had sent them. His name had been attached to each basket. Unless someone was playing a cruel joke…
"What do you mean? It had to be you. Who else would've sent it?" Jack shrugged as he examined the basket. Her mind was frantically searching for an answer. When she came across it, her eyes went wide and anger flushed her face. Rachelle. She had been the one to "deliver" the first bag of cookies. There had been no note on the bag; the girl had simply explained they were from Jack. She was the one who knew she especially enjoyed Swiss chocolate, like the kind that filled that new basket. The girl had watched her tear open the bag and accept the cookies. And for what? So she wouldn't be able to fit into her wedding dress? It couldn't be…but an intuitive feeling told her she was right.
"Oh my God!" Crys suddenly exclaimed loudly, causing Jack to spin around and gaze at her. Irritation grew inside her until she couldn't hold it in anymore. "I'm going to kill her," she screamed, storming past Jack and bolting out the door. If she found Rachelle, she would demand to know her reasons for intruding on her wedding, even if those reasons weren't entirely pleasant.
…..
Uh-oh….Rachelle's in trouble! Don't worry; I'll get right to working on the next chapter. For now, maybe the readers could tell me what they think of the chapter (reviews=motivation!). (=
