65 reviews?! Omg this makes me so happy; I love y'all! 70 reviews, and I'll be even happier ;). Anyway, I hope y'all enjoy this latest chapter!
Chapter 14
Emma and Jerry sat on the bed, deep in thought. Emma's eyes were on the bedspread, while Jerry stared unseeingly at the now cold food on his tray.
Cassie had told them everything. She knew that telling them the partial truth wouldn't work; it was all or nothing. As it was, the words had felt like lead on her tongue as she forced them out.
She had improved her water drop magic trick since the initial North Pole incident, practicing until she could keep the liquid floating in the air for up to five seconds. The cup of water on Jerry's bedside table had served her for the trick quite well during her explanation. Emma was open-minded about the world, but Jerry lived for facts; Cassie knew any visible evidence would go a long way with him.
Emma's head swirled as she tried to absorb the barrage of information she had received. Cassie's story would explain her strange appearance on the riverbank three years ago, and why she had been unfamiliar with basic human tools and practices. Cassie had been open-minded about most so-called children's stories from the start; and Emma knew Cassie wasn't a liar. Still, this seemed like such a tall tale…
Emma lifted her head to look at Cassie. The blonde girl stood in front of the bed, clasped hands held against her stomach. Her expression was neutral but cautious, like she bracing herself for the worst.
The two women locked gazes, and Emma stared into Cassie's blue eyes. They reminded Emma of mountain lakes, deep and full of possibility. More than that, though, they were old soul eyes; older than what she saw when she looked in the mirror. They were the eyes of someone who had experienced centuries of change and played a part in it. Without a word Emma stood up, stepped forward, and pulled Cassie tightly against her body.
Cassie gasped at the sudden embrace, her mask of composure shattering. "E-Emma? What…"
"I always knew there was something unusual about you, something special. I could never quite put my finger on it." Emma ran a hand over Cassie's hair. "Now I can."
Cassie's eyes widened. "You mean you believe me?"
"Cassie, you just made water levitate," Jerry said pointedly. "If that doesn't prove something's up, I don't know what will."
Emma released Cassie and stepped back. "Does anyone else know?"
Cassie looked down. "Naomi does. It was kind of an accident. She didn't take it well. We…" Cassie swallowed the lump threatening to form in her throat. "We haven't spoken since I told her."
"Oh, sweetheart." Emma pulled Cassie close to her again, and this time Cassie returned the hug, gratefully wrapping her arms around the older woman. She guided Emma back down to the bed, where they could sit and talk with Jerry beside them.
"So," Jerry said slowly. "You're sure you want to be a spirit again?"
Cassie nodded. "It's who I'm supposed to be. I've never felt this strongly about anything else." This was the last big hurdle. If the Crosleys were willing to accept her choice, this confession would go infinitely better than the one with Naomi. If not, Cassie would have a lot more heartache to deal with.
Jerry sighed. "I can't say I like the idea of you leaving; and I think you're pretty wonderful just as a human. But…I want you to be happy."
"As do I," Emma agreed. "Since we met you, you've been looking for your place in the world; and now you've found it. Besides, you'll always be you. You'll always be the Cassie we know and love, whether human, spirit, or even porcupine," she added with a wink.
Cassie laughed, deflating in relief. "I'm not quite prickly enough for that. But…thank you. If you hadn't believed me, or had rejected me, I don't know what I would have done." She paused. "You're the closest thing I've ever had to parents. And I know that's an odd thing to say to people who already have kids and grandkids; but it's true. If I didn't even have you anymore…" she trailed off, not wanting to finish the thought.
"We've considered you family for a long time now, Cassie," Jerry said, taking Cassie's hand. "Don't ever doubt it." He raised both eyebrows at her. "But you know what the requirement is for all family members?"
Cassie blinked. "What's that?"
The smile lines around Jerry's mouth deepened. "Family members have to visit each other."
"Of course I'd come to visit!" Cassie agreed. "I don't want to erase my human life; I just want my spirit life back. I won't be forgetting how fun it is to draw and paint, or to cook with the two of you."
"Good," Jerry said with satisfaction. "I'm sure our granddaughters would be happy to see you again too, if we decide they can keep your secret. But what are you going to do about your apartment? What will you do about Dan?"
Cassie exhaled. She had mulled over that topic many times. "I'll take what's important to me from the apartment, and leave whatever rent I need to pay. I have enough money saved up. And Dan…" She thought of the middle-aged man, filling out papers in The Artist's Loft. Dan was even more attached to facts than Jerry was; and he disliked anything that he couldn't define and fit into a neat little box. "I can't tell Dan; he'd never believe me. If I become…when I become a spirit again," she corrected herself, not for the first time. "I'll have to disappear."
Emma grimaced, but hummed thoughtfully. "Well, we can't have you just go missing; there would be a search for you. Maybe we can say you left town, went looking for a new start."
Cassie let out a disbelieving chuckle. Here were the Crosleys, a steady, honest couple, thinking of ways to help her make a smooth escape from Burgess. "We'll think of something. I can't believe I'm hearing this from you two."
"We just want to help," argued Emma. "We might be old, but we still have a trick or two up our sleeves."
Cassie laughed again, even as she shook her head. "Fair enough."
"Now that that's settled," Jerry cut in. "I have one more question."
Cassie nodded. "Ok, shoot."
"First, let me make sure I have this straight: you're sweet on Jack Frost?"
"Jerry!" Cassie cried, roses blooming on her cheeks.
Jerry saw the blush and grinned. "That's all the answer I need. Now the only issue is that I'll need a red hot crowbar to deal with him."
Emma smacked Jerry's shoulder lightly. "Enough of that, you idiot. Cassie, is there any way we could meet Jack?" Emma inquired, maternal curiosity and childish eagerness both in her face.
"I think that can be arranged. That is, if Jerry will stop threatening to attack him," Cassie added with a deadpan glance at the older man. "I can handle Jack quite well on my own. I don't need him thinking that you're insane when you're really just ridiculous."
Jerry's eyes narrowed. "Should I be offended by that remark?"
"Take it as a compliment, Jer," Emma said with a smirk. "Cassie is looking out for your reputation."
The three of them laughed at that. Cassie spent the rest of the evening eating dinner and telling the Crosleys stories about her spirit life. That night, back at her apartment, she slept peacefully, her heart lighter than it had been in weeks.
ooOoo
"They want to meet me?"
Cassie looked up from her sketchbook. "That's what I said. Don't act so surprised, Jack."
"Why shouldn't I be surprised?" Jack argued. "I get here and you tell me you spilled the beans to Emma and Jerry, without talking to me first; and now you want me to meet them?"
Cassie's eyes narrowed slightly. "It's my life story, Jack; I don't need permission to tell it."
"Me and the other Guardians are included in that story," Jack countered.
"And you all want people to believe in you; especially you. What does it matter if a couple of those people are adults?" Jack pouted, and Cassie sighed. "Is meeting Emma and Jerry really such an awful thing to you?"
"Well, look at what happened when I met Naomi." Jack regretted his words as soon as he said them. He hadn't meant to bring up Naomi. "I, I mean—"
"It won't be like that," Cassie interrupted, a little too loudly. She gave herself a mental shake and spoke at a normal volume. "Emma and Jerry took the whole story well. And they requested you, so it won't be such a shock."
Jack looked at Cassie for a moment; and then his mouth curved into a reluctant smile. "Alright, I'll go."
Cassie smiled back, the expression much brighter than Jack's. "Thank you."
As Cassie turned back to her sketching, Jack fidgeted with the staff in his hands. He was hesitant to meet Emma and Jerry because it felt kind of like meeting Cassie's parents. But he wasn't about to tell Cassie that.
They went to the Crosleys' house that night. Jack performed another frost outline to ensure that the Crosleys could see him, and Cassie restrained a laugh at the way the couple's eyes bugged out at the display.
When the initial shock subsided, conversation began. Jack showed better manners than Cassie had ever seen from him, shaking hands with Emma and Jerry and inquiring about the still bedridden Jerry's health. Emma gave Cassie a thumbs up when Jack's back was turned, making Cassie smile. When Cassie saw the glint in Jerry's eye, though, she sent him a glare, the one she saved for people with ideas she didn't like. And when she saw Jack eyeing the thermostat, she poked him in the ribs and murmured, "Orange hair," making the boy jerk and move his gaze to the ceiling.
Two hours later, Cassie and Jack were saying their goodbyes at the front door. Emma hugged Cassie one last time, then surprised Jack with a quick but firm embrace, and waved goodbye to the two as they walked away from the house.
"Now was that so terrible?" Cassie teased Jack, her boots crunching over bits of snow.
"They were pretty cool," Jack admitted. "Not sure I'll survive Jerry's jokes, though."
"It's a good thing he never aspired to be a comedian," Cassie agreed with a laugh. "You get used to his sense of humor, though."
Jack glanced back at the house that was slowly receding behind them. "Cass, I have to ask...why did Emma and Jerry act so casual around me? I mean, you said they took your story well and all; but they acted almost like I was normal."
Cassie smiled. "Well, they're the kind of couple that complements each other and presents a united front. Emma's a bit of an idealist, and Jerry is hard to faze. With both of those traits, I think it's easier for them to handle situations that are more than ordinary." Her smile widened, thoughts of the old couple flashing through her mind. "They have such a beautiful relationship; any couple would be lucky to be half as happy as them."
Cassie tuned back into her surroundings to find that she had stopped walking. Jack stood looking at her, his expression soft. She waited for him to say something, but he just kept his eyes on her face. "Jack?" She finally said tentatively.
Jack blinked and abruptly averted his eyes, clearing his throat. When he looked up again, his usual carefree expression was back. "So," he stretched the word out. "Do you really want to walk all the way home?"
Cassie raised an eyebrow. "Is that an invitation to fly back instead?"
Jack raised an eyebrow of his own. "Is that a yes?"
Cassie grinned. "Always." Jack held out his hand to her, and she took it. She felt the familiar tingle of magic surround her body; and then they lifted off, soaring into the sky like owls in the night.
The days after that blurred together, as Cassie focused on just one thing: her paintings. She had gifts to finish before the holidays rolled around, and she wanted each piece to be perfect.
On retrieving her good easel from her room, she made a discovery: Naomi's portrait, still balanced on the wooden structure. The sight of it made her heart ache; but the portrait was too beautiful to throw away. Instead she wrapped it in a sheet and stowed it in the back of her closet, where she wouldn't have to look at it. She moved the empty easel to the living room, blinking back the stinging feeling in her eyes.
Filbert brush, round pointed brush, fan and flat brushes came alive in her hands. They were dipped into paints—primary colors, pastels, dark and light colors—, sometimes mixing the paints to make new shades, and then danced across paper and cuts of canvas.
As whenever she invested in an art project, the rest of life seemed less important. Jack had to remind her multiple times to eat or to go to bed before nighttime became morning. The next time she visited the North Pole, her apron was still on and her face was streaked with paint. She pulled North aside for a brief conversation, which caught Jack's attention. He watched as they talked in hushed voices, a pleading expression on Cassie's face. When they returned from the conversation, Jack asked them what was going on. His only response was two smiles and North advising him not to worry about it.
Some time later, Cassie added the final touches to her gift for Emma. She placed it carefully aside to dry, and then retrieved a glass of water from the kitchen. Sitting down at the table, she let out a satisfied sigh, and glanced at the magnetized calendar on the fridge. It was December 20th.
She gulped her water down, and then refilled her cup in the sink. With another sigh, this time of anticipation, she finished that cup too and headed to her room. One fun task down, one more to go. She knelt next to her bed and reached underneath it, pulling out several cardboard boxes. Inside were string lights, garlands, reusable holly, and more. Stacking the boxes on top of each other, she carried them carefully out to the living room.
She had dragged her reusable Christmas tree up from a safe spot in the art shop storage room. It was a fir tree that was a little taller than her; and she had set it up in her living room. What wasn't part of the setup was the white-haired figure who perched on top of the tree.
"Jack!" Cassie set down the boxes. "Get down from there, you're going to knock it over!"
Jack hopped down to the floor. "Relax, I'm not gonna—" He yelped as the tree teetered and tipped into him, almost knocking him off his feet. He hastily turned and steadied the tree, making sure it was secure on its stand before letting go. "I got it, no worries." He smiled sheepishly.
Cassie rolled her eyes. "Serves you right."
Jack shrugged off the comment. "Decorating for Christmas, huh?"
Cassie nodded. "Yeah. I haven't even met anyone who celebrates Chanukkah, so Christmas is the winter holiday I know best." She cocked her head. "Do you celebrate Christmas?"
"Sure," Jack responded easily. "All the Guardians celebrate North and Bunny's holidays in some way."
"I guess Christmas would be easier for you," Cassie mused. "All you have to do is start a snowball fight or a round of sledding. But how do you celebrate Easter?"
Jack smirked. "Suffice it to say, Bunny doesn't like how I celebrate."
Cassie shook her head. "I'm going to get that story out of Bunny sometime. And when I do, it'll make great blackmail material against you," she said wickedly.
"Hey!" Jack protested. "Blackmail? What happened to Christmas spirit?"
"That's why I won't make any plans for the information until after Christmas," Cassie said with a wink. "Now, want to help me decorate?"
Jack was already rummaging through the boxes of decorations. "Duh, Cass."
Cassie laughed and switched her radio on, turning to a station that played holiday music. "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" drifted out of the speakers as Cassie joined Jack by the decorations.
The two worked side by side, hanging string lights and ornaments with careful placement. Jack added a personal touch by dusting the tree with a light layer of snow, assuring Cassie that it wouldn't melt.
Cassie thanked him happily, but was horrified shortly after when Jack discovered a leftover spray can of fake snow. She snatched the can away from him. "You can make real snow; what do you need the fake stuff for?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.
Jack shrugged, smirking slightly. "I can work with either kind."
"Not today, you can't." Cassie looked down at the uncapped can in her hands as if thinking where to put it. Without warning she pointed the can at Jack and pressed the nozzle hard enough to send a jet of white foam straight at him.
Jack gasped and threw up a hand to shield his face. He managed to cover his eyes and everything above them; but his nose, mouth and chin became covered in the foam.
Cassie doubled over laughing, watching the fake snow drip off of Jack's jaw. He looked like he had had his face pressed into a cream pie. Jack spit a piece of the stuff out of his mouth with a disgusted splutter, and Cassie nearly choked on her own laughter.
Jack glared at Cassie. "I hope North puts you on the Naughty list for that."
"I can't do worse that you on that one," Cassie replied, still giggling. "You still hold the record for the Naughty list, right?"
Jack's eyes narrowed slyly. "Yep. And I'd hate to break that winning streak." He swiped a handful of fake snow off his face and took a slow step towards Cassie.
Cassie's eyes widened. "Oh, no. Don't even think about it." She held the can of snow up and pressed the nozzle again, hoping to drive Jack back with another blast. The can only made a weak fizzing sound. She must have used up the last of it.
"That's my cue." Jack launched forward, and smeared the foam in his hand across the front of Cassie's shirt.
Cassie yelped and stumbled back, wiping at her shirt. She looked up to glare at Jack, but faltered when she saw that his cheeks were still patched with fake snow. Her lips twitched upwards. She looked down at the stain on her shirt, and smiled ruefully. "I guess I should have expected this." Looking up again, she chuckled at Jack's still-frosted face. "Come on."
She walked into the kitchen, Jack trailing after her, and wet a clean dishcloth. She wiped Jack's face clean, and then did what she could for her shirt before deciding it would need a proper wash. Stepping into her room, she removed the stained shirt and tossed it in her hamper, then pulled on a sweater. When she was ready, she re-joined Jack in the living room.
Jack was sitting on the couch, idly making snowflakes dance around his hand. He looked up as Cassie came in. "I think we're about done."
Cassie glanced around, and then shook her head. "There's still something missing." She went to the all-but-empty decoration boxes, and pulled a shoebox out of the largest one. Taking the lid off, she unwrapped a layer of tissue paper and pulled out a many-pointed gold star. "We can't forget this."
"Definitely not," Jack agreed.
Holding the star in both hands, Cassie stepped over to the tree and got up on her tiptoes.
Jack watched her movements. "Something wrong?"
"No," Cassie responded, biting her lip in concentration. "It's just tricky getting the star in place, since this tree is taller than me." She hummed thoughtfully. "I used to have a stool that solved that problem, but I think it's been lost somewhere in the art shop."
Jack stood up. "I can lift you."
Cassie's eyes lit up. "That sounds good; thanks! I just need about a foot of height."
"Got it." Coming up behind Cassie, Jack put both hands on her waist and channeled magic over her body. He felt her shiver, probably from the cold of his touch; and then their feet left the floor. It occurred to Jack that he didn't really need to hold Cassie by her waist. It's better if I lift her like this, Jack told himself. Both her hands are full.
A few seconds later, and the two were high enough in the air to easily reach the top of the tree. Cassie reached out and placed the star on the top branch, making sure it was secure before she let go.
"So, what are you doing to celebrate Christmas?" Jack asked Cassie. He released her waist as they touched back down on the hardwood floor.
Cassie turned to face Jack. "I'm spending Christmas Eve with the Crosleys—that is, Emma and Jerry and their kids and grandkids. That's what I've done the past few years, although it might be different with Jerry still taking it slow. As for Christmas Day," she shrugged, "I'm not sure yet. Normally I would spend it with Naomi and her family," She tried to ignore the ache that passed through her on mentioning her former friend's name. "But I'll find something else to do this year." She tilted her head. "What about you?"
"Well, there'll be a lot of snow involved," Jack said evasively. "That's for sure."
Cassie smiled. "Of course; after all, there's no white Christmas without snow."
"Exactly." Jack smiled back; but the wheels in his mind were turning steadily. He would be giving people a white Christmas, all right; but that wasn't the only thing to do.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Next chapter: "I like the idea of a potluck holiday dinner."/ Her voice turned soft, and she looked straight at Jack. His azure eyes were almost glowing in the dim light; and she allowed her gaze to linger on those eyes./ Her head was now lowered and her eyes clenched shut. "I'm sorry."/ "About time you owned up to it," Bunny remarked from his usual place by a pillar. "It's been the elephant in the room for weeks now."/ Cassie reflected that she had never gotten so many extraordinary gifts as she was receiving that day./ "But if it wasn't you I heard in here, then what did I hear?"
Please leave a review!