Pop.

Bernard twitched. He and Beck were back in his office, finishing up filing the day's work. At least, he was. Beck, who was lounging against a bookshelf, had somehow gotten her hands on some chewing gum and was busily making a nuisance of herself.

Smack.

She absently pulled the rubbery substance from her lips and cheek, before stuffing it back into her mouth and preparing a new bubble. She fanned herself with some document or other, chomping loudly.

Something was irking him, and it wasn't the gum. A few times, he almost spoke up, but decided against what could potentially be a very sticky situation (Bubblelicious aside).

Beck's eyes were glazed over. She had completely forgone pretending to work. She continued chomping and examined her split ends.

Pop.

That was it.

Bernard put his pen down on his desk - with a little more force than was necessary – and rubbed his face wearily.

Beck huffed. "Jeez, okay. I'll be quieter. Sorry, boss." She threw up her hands indignantly.

"No, no, it's not that." He told her.

"Oh." She sat up. "Then what's the matter? Not like I care or anything - I mean, it's whatever – but I'm curious."

"It's just-" He rested his jaw in his palm, elbow on the desk. He took a frustrated breath, as if he couldn't figure out a way to articulate his thoughts. Beck looked at him intently, waiting for him to continue.

"Why Jack?"

Beck looked taken aback. She faltered for a moment. She stood up, stretched. "Why not?"

"I mean, it just seems like a strange situation. It's not like I didn't think that you would ever have a lover-"

"Woah, there," Beck stopped him, snorting. "No one ever said anything about love, B." She leaned forward with a smile and knocked on his wooden desk. "He was convenient, at best." She was relieved. This was good; he really only wanted surface stuff.

"Sorry, I just thought...you know." Bernard scratched the back of his head sheepishly. He lifted his cocoa mug to his lips.

"Don't get me wrong, he was awesome in bed-" Bernard choked on his drink- "But we were just passing the time. Plus, he's far too cocky. All he ever really did was piss me off. Anyway, why am I telling you this?"

The Head Elf coughed for roughly thirty-five seconds straight, his ward staring at him flatly. When he seemed to have regained his breath, Beck opened her mouth. "Are you with us?"

"Wait-" He put up a hand, looking confused. "You two were..." His face colored somewhat, "together, but you weren't in love?"

"Yeah, what of it?" Beck plopped into the chair opposite him.

"I just thought, you know, that that was reserved for people who loved each other. You did refer to it as your 'love life,' after all, didn't you?" He asked, using air-quotes.

"'Love life' can mean a lot of things, Honey B."

"Don't call me that."

"Okay." Beck drew one of her knees up to her chest and blew another bubble. "But 'love?' The 'love' you're talking about. Who really needs it?"

Bernard was confused. "But what about the future? Don't you want to settle down? Get married?"

"Marriage?" Beck said the word as if he had just asked her to to eat her own kidney. She shook her head and chuckled. "I don't belong to anyone."

"Well, it's not about belonging to someone-" Bernard began.

"The concepts of marriage and love are crap, and I'll tell you why."

Bernard leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms. He raised his eyebrows skeptically. "Fine, tell me."

"Alright. I'll tell you." Beck pulled her other knee up to her chest, and shifted so that she was sitting on her feet. She rested her elbows on the desk and leaned toward her boss. "Imagine you're walking down a really busy street with someone, holding hands. Eventually, an object is going to pass between the two of you - say, a mailbox, a light post, a person. Now, the way I see it, you can either just let go, or do some seriously awkward maneuvering shit to stay connected, because you're too scared to let go. And you can sure as shit bet that, on that street, no one's stopping for anyone."

"Well, I guess you just have to decide whether the maneuvering is worth it." He reasoned.

"It's not." She said firmly. "Not for me, it's not." She sat back and threw an arm over the back of the chair. "Don't be naive. No matter what anyone tries to tell you, it's every man for himself."

Bernard sat for a minute, thinking her words over. He had certainly never thought about it that way, but he didn't buy it for a minute. How can two people be together and not feel a connection? Perhaps it was his North Pole upbringing, but he was certain that Beck felt, at least at one point, something for Jack Frost... and it didn't sit right with him. He told himself that he didn't know why that was.

While he was in contemplation, Judy swiftly knocked on the door and entered without waiting for a response. "Hello, Bernard. Hello, Beck." She smiled sweetly.

Bernard shook himself from his thoughts. "Oh, hey, Judy."

"I have a final draft for the new Official North Pole Cookbook, and it just needs your signature of approval."

"Just set it on my desk, and I'll take a look at it later."

"Oh, Bernard. We both know you don't actually read these things."

He looked flustered. "Well, I-"

Judy gave a laugh that was not unkind. "It's okay, Bernard. I know you have bigger fish to fry." She flipped to the back cover of the thick volume in her hands. "Just sign here."

Bernard looked around for his pen, shuffling documents and lifting up stacks of papers before finding it in the same place he had put it minutes before. He uncapped it with his teeth and quickly signed the book. "Is that all?" He said around the pen cap.

"I had an elf escort the Sand Man home on Vixen – he was feeling a little fatigued – but the other Figures made it back to their posts. Mother Nature said the meeting was a success...for the most part," She glanced back at Beck, smiling sympathetically.

The red head shrugged and smiled innocently. "Haters gonna hate." Was her sage response.

Judy stifled a giggle and continued. "Jack Frost disappeared a little earlier than everyone else, and we should probably make sure he's where he should be. Do you know where he went?"

"Hell." Beck informed her.

The Head Elf looked at her sternly. "Don't say 'Hell.'"

"Okay. Mexico."

"Did he go back to his post?" Judy repeated.

"Yes." Beck responded shortly.

"That's good," Judy took the book back from Bernard. "It's best that we keep tabs on him."

"I hit that, you know," Beck told her, pulling the gum from her mouth in a long, pink string.

"Don't say 'hit that.' Remember where you are and speak accordingly." Bernard lectured.

Beck doubled up the pink string and popped it back into her mouth, shrugging again. "I can think of another word, but I don't think you'll like it."

Judy blinked, not understanding. She changed the subject. "So Beck," she started, "How is it going, being back at the Pole and all?"

"Oh, you know," she said, "Same old crabby management, same old cheap-o child labor." Her lips twisted into a smile.

The younger elf laughed. "I don't know what you were talking about – she has a great sense of humor!" she beamed at Bernard, who rolled his eyes.

"It was either that, or put a gun in my mouth." Beck mumbled. Judy took her leave, and the moody red head returned to playing with her hair.

Bernard sighed, frustrated. "Why aren't you working?"

"Why aren't you more appealing?" She shot back with a sneer.

His face turned red in indignation, but Beck shut up when she saw the ghost of ancient pain in his expression. She looked down at the floor, choked for words, as Bernard looked up at the clock. It was only quarter to four. He stared at the confusing young woman before him, focusing on the freckled face that was devoid of silver flecks.

He stood, gathering his satchel. "I don't think anyone will mind if we punch out early." Beck followed him out. They made their way through the maze of hallways, the busy main workshop, and down the front steps outside. She's got to have a soul in there, somewhere. Beck is in there somewhere. He decided that he would have to search her doe eyes some other time, seeing as for the time being, he would need to watch his step.

Bernard led Beck to a kiosk and bought the two of them hot cocoa. Beck shuffled through the snow behind him, nursing her drink. Her hands were wrapped around her Styrofoam cup, and she held it close to her face to stay warm. She spotted a structure in the distance; the swings and metal slide a friendly, familiar sight.

"Look Bernard, I'm bigger than you!"

Bernard began to turn onto a side street when he noticed his companion continuing to walk ahead. "Beck, it's..." Then he saw where she was headed. He silently followed where his ward led.

She reached the swing set, brushed the snow off of one of the swings, and sat down. Wordlessly, her boss took the swing next to her.

The two of them sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity. She looked at him. When he turned to her, she made haste in staring forward at nothing. When she looked back, he suddenly found his ancient leather shoes fascinating. The two stared ahead. Beck gently pushed herself with her foot. She took a sip of her hot drink.

"You know, I've always hated cocoa." Woah, there. What a snappy ice breaker. Somebody stop me, I'm on fire.

"Really?" This is awkward.

"Hate it." Kill me now.

"Huh," he murmured, "I completely forgot." I didn't forget. I was avoiding a conversation like this.

"Me too." Beck smiled into her cup. This blows. Get me out of here.

"Do you want to keep moving?" Bernard asked. Please say yes.

She gave a noncommittal shrug and the two rose and continued walking. Beck left her to-go cup behind, forgotten in the snow. Soon, a small schoolhouse came into view. Beck wanted to look away, but couldn't.

"He's not worth it."

She cringed at the memory, which had decided to dust itself off and leap to the forefront of her mind.

Bernard gazed up at the flag pole, around at the school yard. The snow here was dirty and chewed-up, from dozens of students milling about before class.

"Just what are you trying to prove?"

He inwardly kicked himself.

"Why in the world would I like you?"

He looked down in shame, ears burning. He inhaled slowly, and the bitter air tickled his throat. "Have you ever wanted to take something back? Just erase something you said, or you did?" He mused, looking at his companion, hands clasped behind his back. She stared at him with a look that plainly said that any further conversation on the subject would not be welcome.

"No. Never." He thought he detected a hint of desperation in her guarded tone. Stony faced, she turned on her heel and continued trudging through the snow, leaving Bernard in front of the school house. He watched her walk away, mentally weighing her words and her voice, before hurrying after her.

"We live down the other street. Where are you going?" Bernard trailed after her.

"Nowhere." Was Beck's eloquent response.

"Seriously, Beck." He was exasperated. He just wanted to get home. He wanted to sit in his study and be left alone to think. 'Think' meaning 'brood over every mistake I have ever made.'

"I'll tell you when we get there." Her voice was strained, but her back was to Bernard, so he couldn't tell exactly why.

They continued walking in silence, and turned down a familiar street. He was ready to put his foot down and tell her that it was time to go home, when he nearly ran into her.

She had stopped very suddenly, and was staring with her reddened lips slightly parted. It seemed as if she was struggling – against what, Bernard wasn't sure. It was as if she was closed off from the present time and place; it was like there were no other elves around, shoveling snow, strolling the sidewalks. She was isolated in a frozen, unfriendly place. He wasn't there. For a moment, she looked like the loneliest person in the world.

He followed her gaze, and the air rushed out of him when he saw the empty, decrepit, boarded up building in front of him.

It was the house that Beck grew up in.

Woop woop new chapter! After months of waiting!

I know my uploading is super erratic, but I promise I'm trying to get my shit together! I haven't given up on Beck. She's my muse. I just want to bring her to life as much as possible.

Anyway, I am proud to say that in August I will officially be a student of Salisbury University! Right now I'm undeclared, but I'm considering an English major, with a concentration in either Journalism or Creative Writing.

But as with everything else in my life, I'm just flying by the seat of my pants!

As usual, reviews are lovely! Suggestions, constructive criticism, and ideas are always welcome!

I love you guys, you motivate me!