Disclaimer: I do not own the Santa Clause trilogy at all. The only characters I own are Crys and Rachelle.

A/N: As always, those reviews are amazing! So, you guys liked that last chapter, huh? Well, it's not over yet, not by a long shot. Get ready for the next chapter!

Chapter 11: Unexpected

It was barely eight o'clock in the morning and Crys was out of breath. The chilly air around her did little to cool her body as she pushed herself harder and harder. That morning, she had forced herself to get up at six and do some running around the grounds. If she was going to fit into her dress again by her wedding date, she needed to get going as soon as possible. Finishing yet another lap, she collapsed onto a nearby bench to catch her breath.

A few elves walked by and they waved to her with small smiles on their faces. Crys tried to smile back at them, but her thoughts were far away. She was thinking about Rachelle and all she had done recently. How could she do such a thing as to nearly ruin Crys's wedding? And she had insisted that it was all a joke, as if she had played a harmless prank on April Fools' Day. Yeah, right. Rachelle never plays pranks without a good reason.

Her mind shifted to Jack and she remembered the way Rachelle had looked at him the first time she met him. Had she been imagining it or was it a true animal attraction that Crys had seen in Rachelle's eyes? She brought a hand to her forehead as a headache appeared. She couldn't even imagine that kind of possibility, not so close to her wedding.

Now that she was breathing normally, she re-tied her red hair in a tight ponytail and stood up from the bench. Pushing all thoughts of Rachelle from her mind, she started off for another mile.

….

Ever since Rachelle's devious actions had been exposed—just yesterday, actually—Bernard had taken up the habit of watching Rachelle like a hawk. He had officially taken the title of "guardian" to heart. Wherever she went, he followed. He even stood outside the bathrooms to make sure she couldn't leave his sight. Rachelle tried her hardest to ignore his constantly lurking presence, but it grew more tedious with every passing hour.

"Are you really going to follow me all day?" She finally broke, whirling around to complain at him. His face was only inches away from hers and so she could easily see the strain there.

"Until you prove that you won't act like a troublemaker, I will," he confirmed, maintaining a stoic position. Rachelle narrowed her eyes at him and then stomped loudly up the stairs, emphasizing how much she disliked the matter.

"You're acting like a five year old," Bernard scolded her, sounding much older than he looked.

"Really? Then how old are you supposed to be, oh wise guardian?" Sarcasm dripped with every word she spoke. Bernard seemed like he didn't mind it. In fact, a small smile was on his lips, as if he knew a secret that she had yet to discover.

"You'd be surprised," he told her. Puzzled, Rachelle eyed him suspiciously, wondering what he could possibly mean by that. He looked no older than twenty or so.

"Whatever," she retorted, moving down the hallway to her left. Bernard's footsteps matched hers and she sighed. I'm going to have to get used to this, aren't I? I wonder if he'll guard my bedroom door as well. Rachelle paused when she reached the door of Carol's bedroom and knocked insistently.

"What exactly are you bothering her for? She's probably busy taking care of the baby," Bernard said, grabbing Rachelle's wrist before she knocked again. She opened her mouth to reply when the door opened wide, revealing Carol holding her baby boy.

"Oh, Rachelle. What a surprise," Carol greeted her, obviously not expecting Rachelle to be visiting her. Bernard shrugged, showing that he had no idea about her intentions. "Well, come in, come in," Carol urged her inside. Rachelle stopped in the doorway as Bernard began to follow.

"Do you mind giving us a minute? It's kind of personal," Rachelle hinted. Bernard could just stand outside for all he wanted. He frowned at her while preventing her from closing the door.

"Whatever you can say in front of Carol I'm sure you can say in front of me," he argued, gesturing to the interior of Carol's room. Rachelle glared at him and then came up with an idea that might just drive him away.

"Well, alright. But, just to warn you, it's that time of the month and—"

"Alright, I got the picture! I'll…I'll just be waiting outside," Bernard stated, moving to a section of the wall where he could watch the door. Rachelle smiled mockingly at him and slammed the door. Carol had a thin smile, a knowing look in her eyes.

"So, it's that time of the month, huh?" Her voice was light and sweet, the kind of voice that Rachelle had once wished her own mother had. It was understanding and caring, gentle and patient. Rachelle couldn't help but slip into a good mood around her.

"Please. I just told him that to get rid of him," she admitted. Surprisingly, Carol laughed at Rachelle's cleverness and she immediately liked her all the more. The baby made a few noises that sounded like small giggles. Maybe he would inherit his mother's sense of humor.

"I heard about what happened yesterday," Carol said. The only thing that kept Rachelle calm was the fact that Carol hadn't said it accusingly, like others would have. She was just curious about Rachelle's reasons.

"Oh, that. Could we not talk about that right now? That's not exactly why I came," she pointed out, hoping Carol would drop the subject. Rachelle watched as Carol moved to the cream-colored couch in the living room and sat down with the baby, holding a bottle to its lips.

"Why did you come here?" Carol rocked the baby back and forth while gazing at Rachelle.

"This place is mysterious. It's a huge place. It has to have some secrets, right?" Rachelle lingered for a minute on the word "secrets" so that Carol would get the gist of what she was asking. Understanding and hesitation filled Carol's face at the same time. A strand of her light blond hair fell across her eyes, forcing her to shift the baby to one arm so that she could push it away.

"Well, every place has a secret or two, Rachelle. It's just a matter of discovering them for yourself," she explained. Rachelle registered the last few words and her hopes dropped to the ground. Carol either knew and wasn't going to tell her or she didn't know anything at all. No, she knows something. I'm sure of it.

"There are secrets here. What kind of secrets?" Rachelle pressed her, refusing to give up easily. Carol was watching the baby as he swung a fist in the air and giggled. Her face was stressed and strained.

"Look, Rachelle. I don't think I'm the right one to tell you. Why don't you try asking Scott or Crys even?" The idea sounded horrible to Rachelle. No way was she going to face Crys and taunt her about the possible secrets that were kept in this place. Crys probably wouldn't even speak to her now. "Umm…do you mind, hon? It's time for the baby's nap," Carol suggested, trying to be polite in telling Rachelle to get out. Rachelle huffed and left the room, determined to find out some other way.

"Don't even start," she warned Bernard as she passed by him. She knew he had been eavesdropping just the slightest bit and it only angered her more. His knowing smile angered her as well.

"Typical. Do you always lie to get your way?" He made it sound so…bad. Rachelle's temper flared; she didn't have the patience for this today. Instantly, she spun on Bernard, preparing to have it out with him yet again.

"What exactly is it that you don't like about me? Yes, I'm a troublemaker and I'm not as mature as you. But it doesn't mean you have to constantly bother me about it and it's obvious you could care less, but—" Bernard had been listening intently and his face had darkened with every word she said. To Rachelle's shock, he cut her off, but not in the way she would have expected. Instead, in one sweeping motion, he pulled her to him and kissed her.

…

Oooohh…cliffhanger. Don't you guys hate it when I do that? Well, I do it once or twice in most of my stories. (= Yep, deadly cliffhanger and now I bet you can't wait to see what comes next. Don't worry, I'll hurry up and work on the next chapter! I think my writer's block is fading (hooray!). Until next time, readers (don't get too anxious!).