Now is the solstice of the year,

Winter is the glad song that you hear.

Seven maids move in seven time.

Have the lads up ready in a line.

Ring out these bells.

Ring out, ring solstice bells.

Ring solstice bells.

x

Wednesday 21st December 2011: Solstice

"Do you know what day it is?"

Haru didn't look up from the chessboard. "I have a feeling you're about to tell me." She grimaced at the board and hesitantly fiddled with the top of the bishop.

Jack didn't appear particularly fussed by Haru's – or anyone else's, for that matter – inattention.

"It's the winter solstice today. The shortest day of the year."

"Lovely." Haru decided on forgoing the bishop and moving the rook instead. Her opponent winced and spared her a wicked smile.

"I don't think you want to do that."

Haru pouted but moved her rook back. "You're not meant to give your opponent advice," she grumbled. "That's cheating."

"Cheating?" Baron repeated doubtfully, still smiling widely.

"Well, it's certainly unorthodox."

"From today until the summer solstice, the days will be getting longer."

"Lovely," Haru repeated in the same tone to Jack's contemplative thoughts. Biting her lip, she toyed with the idea of moving her knight instead, but was unwilling to risk one of her favourite pieces. "I don't like being given advice in a chess game," she muttered furiously, spinning the piece idly round on the spot. She hadn't really realised she was doing it. "It muddles me up."

"I'm just preventing you from being defeated immediately."

Haru glared. "And that's not patronising in the least," she said sarcastically.

"What would I know?" Baron's eyes sparkled as he teased the brunette. "I'm just a wooden figurine."

"Uh-huh. One that has spent too many hours perfecting his chess ability, evidently."

"With a lifetime like mine, I have had plenty of time to perfect my chess strategies. It's still your turn," he reminded her.

"Darn. And I was hoping you had forgotten." She was only partially joking.

"Take your turn, please."

Haru made a face and moved her knight over the opponent's pawn and to the side.

"Is that your turn?"

"Don't sound so smug. Yes, that is my turn."

"Are you sure?"

Haru glowered. "Stop telling me how to play the game."

"Right." The knight was immediately taken and the bishop moved to check the king. "Do you want to take back that move now?" He was idly juggling the small white knight between his fingers, taking a closer inspection at the piece that consisted of a horse's head in white plastic masquerading as marble.

Haru looked rather miffed at the general situation, but didn't back down. "Nope," she replied stubbornly. "I can manage this."

"This should be interesting."

"Could you stop sounding so patronising?"

"I think you're being a little too sensitive."

Haru opened her mouth to send back another reply – she didn't know about Baron, but she was enjoying the mock-argument – but at that precise moment a phone went off. She groaned and got to her feet. "I'll answer that." She turned and gave Baron a look. "And I'll know if you've changed anything around."

"Why would I need to?"

Haru huffed but picked up the phone. "Hi, Haru Yoshioka speaking. If you want to speak to Naoko Yoshioka, I'm afraid you'll have to try another time. If you just want to pass on a message, I could take it and give it to her when she gets back..." She trailed off as the person at the other end of the line replied with something. A grin split across the brunette's face. "Elsie? Is that you?"

"Elsie?" Jack had made it across the room in a matter of strides and had swept the phone out of Haru's grasp with little difficultly. "Where are you? Are you okay?"

Haru stole the phone back off Jack before he could gain a reply. "I think we all want to talk to Elsie. I'll put it on loudspeaker." She pressed a button and placed the phone on the kitchen table. "Hiya, Elsie. How are things going?"

"Where are you?" Jack demanded instantly. "Did the flight go?"

There was some familiar laughter emitted from the phone. "No, it was cancelled just like you said it would be. But the snow got so bad last night that the taxi never came to pick me up so I had to spend the night in a two-star motel."

"But where are you now?" he insisted.

"With my aunt and uncle. The taxi arrived this morning and took me back. I don't think I'm going to be able to get home until after this snowstorm has blown itself out, which might be after Christmas. Anyway, I would have contacted you earlier, but my mobile had no signal – certainly not in this weather – so I had to wait until I got to a landline phone to tell you what had happened."

"Jack's missed you!" Haru called down the line. She earned a glare, but she didn't really care.

Elsie laughed. "Tell him I missed him too!"

Jack didn't lighten his glare, but he did look a little happier.

"Anyway, since it appears I'll be staying for a little longer than originally intended, do people have anything planned for the next few days?"

"Say we do," Jack abruptly whispered. He looked almost panicked. "Otherwise she'll drag me to another flower arranging class!"

"What's Jack saying?"

"Um, he's just expressed a sudden desire to look round the local museum," Haru lied. Jack gave her a look. "What?" she whispered back. "Nothing else came to mind!"

"A museum?" he repeated disbelievingly.

"A museum?" Elsie asked, unknowingly echoing Jack. "He wants to go to a museum?"

"Uh-huh. The museum." Haru grinned at the irate ex-spirit. She supposed she should count her lucky stars that he didn't have his magic still to hand. As nice as being a snowflake might be, she infinitely preferred being human.

"Alright, if he wants to go to a museum, then I'm game."

"Good. Do you want to meet up here then? Say, elevenish?"

"Fine. I'll see you then." There was an audible click and Elsie ended the call. Haru turned to put the phone back in its cradle to see that Jack was still giving her daggers. To the side of Jack, Baron was standing with his finger and thumb rubbing the bridge of his nose. She could see that he was desperately trying not to see the humour in the situation.

If the smile hidden just below his hand was any indication, he was failing.

"Of all the excuses you could have given... why the museum?" Jack demanded loudly, now sure that Elspeth wouldn't pick up their little bout of deceit.

"It was the only thing I could think of."

"Next time, think harder!"

"Next time, answer her yourself, coward."

Baron's hand had slipped down to the side of his face and now he was in the pretence of biting his nails. The smile was still there and threatening to grow, revealing the fake nail-biting to be a futile ploy to prevent the smile from spreading any further.

"Baron, what do you think about all this?" Jack demanded.

Baron coughed and regained control. "What's the harm of going to a museum?" he answered weakly, making a small attempt at shrugging his shoulders. "Who knows; you might even enjoy it."

"Elsie said the same about the flower arranging class."

Haru grinned a little guiltily. "I still think that's pretty funny."

"It isn't."

"Just imagine: Jack Frost – harsh and cold spirit of winter; nipper of noses; maker of the frost itself and that other stuff that apparently you do – rearranging a flower pot." Haru giggled. "It is a little ridiculous."

"It's embarrassing, that's what it is. I'm going to get laughed out of the spirit realm," Jack groaned. "I'll never be taken seriously again."

"Don't worry; being taken seriously is overrated anyway."

"That was not the reassurance I needed."

"Anytime," chimed Haru happily. She turned on her heel and returned to the chess game still sitting unfinished on the low coffee table. "Hey, Baron; do you want to finish this?"

"I see no reason why not. The game is nearly finished anyway."

"It's not over until my king is checkmated."

Baron smiled and sat down on the carpet. "If you say so."

Haru sat down on the carpet, opposite Baron but not bothering to sit on the sofa behind her. Jack wasn't so fussed and took the available room on the settee, as such sitting behind Haru's right shoulder.

Jack leant over her shoulder to see the board. "Do you need any help?" he offered grouchily.

"No."

The once-spirit skimmed his gaze over the game. "You're in check."

"I know."

"You should move your–"

Haru turned on the spot to glare at Jack. "Who's playing this game?" she demanded.

Feeling that he was getting his own back on the brunette, a thin smile crossed his face. "Well, you currently, but since you're doing such a poor job of it, it may be a small mercy if I take over."

"I should have said you'd asked to go to the flower arranging class again," Haru muttered threateningly. She moved forward to bring forward her rook. This was accompanied by winces from both the males.

"Would you stop doing that?"

"Are you sure you don't want to take that move back?" Baron offered.

"She's already taken her hand off the piece; she can't change it now."

"That's a stupid rule," Haru grumbled.

"Well then, I'm sorry, Haru." The rook was passed by a bishop and Haru's queen was neatly taken out. "You've just lost your queen."

"Careful you don't lose yours," Haru replied back, smirking.

Baron leant on the coffee table. "Is that a threat?"

Haru leant forward to grin evilly at her companion. "It's a promise."

Jack leant back into the sofa with a groan. "Please tell me I'm not that soppy when I'm with Elsie," he pleaded. "I don't think I could take anymore humiliation."

"Well, you are pretty besotted. Now, Baron; I think it's time you lost your queen. And since you've so conveniently moved your bishop out of the way..." She started to slide her own bishop across the board.

"Hm, but to do that you would have to expose your king to check." Baron retrieved the piece and set it back to its original spot. "So it would appear I keep my queen."

Haru glowered at the board. "Darn."

"So, what are you going to do instead? Would you like to forfeit now?"

"And give in without a fight? Never!"

If Jack had been more familiar with anime, he may have likened his feelings to a sweatdrop. As things stood though, he just had to make do with a faint tinge of red covering his usually pale features. "You two are so embarrassing," he groaned.

The pair grinned at him. "We know."

"I think I'll just make myself some tea." He peered doubtfully into the cleaned teapot, still remembering the rather unforgettable taste of Baron's previously unsuccessful blend. "On second thoughts, I think I might see if there's anything else."

"It's fine."

"Haru, I'm still waiting for you to take your turn."

The brunette glared at the unfavourable board. "Shoot, I really want to take your queen..."

"I'm afraid that under current circumstances, that is unable to happen."

"Then I'll just have to change the circumstances, won't I?"

Jack – who had his whole head in the fridge in the process of reaching for the milk situated right at the back – accidentally knocked off a yogurt from one of the shelves, where it hit the floor with a thud and rolled under the kitchen table. Grumbling, Jack retrieved the wayward pot and set it back in the fridge.

Baron turned his gaze back to the board – he had instinctively snapped his head round at the noise – and paused for a few moments before frowning.

"Haru, put the queen back."

Haru, who quite clearly was keeping something behind her back, shrugged innocently. "I don't know what you mean."

"And I suppose the queen just became tired of waiting for you to take your turn and wandered off then."

Haru looked at the board, and then grinned. "Yep."

"Really? And where would the queen be, do you think? Not behind your back, of course."

"No, of course not."

Baron got to his feet and leaned towards Haru. "Well then, why don't you show me what you've got in your hands?"

Haru got to her feet also, keeping her hands firmly behind her back. "Shan't."

"Please, Haru."

"Nope." Haru edged away from the table, easing her way out from between the sofa and the aforementioned table. Baron followed her, but he was also grinning now.

"Come, come, Haru; you really are being most childish."

The brunette just stuck her tongue out and proceeded to edge away, now following the back of the sofa and edging round to the front again. Baron continued round and this slow procession continued for a lap and a half round the same sofa.

Eventually Baron broke into a semi-run (as much of a run as can be obtained round a sofa) and chased Haru round the sofa and then widening the loop round the table too; Haru ran too, but stopped at the end of the sofa. Baron stopped at the other end and they waited for the other to make the first move – to indicate which way they were about to go. Eventually Haru made a break for the left but backed up and skidded to the window side of the room when Baron quickly caught up. She ended up laughing with her back against the large curtained windows, with Baron blocking off her escape.

"So you've won your queen," she laughed. "Now what?"

"Checkmate."

He kissed the brunette, and had the kiss returned in full.

Jack gave the pair another disgruntled look.

"Forget this. I'm going back to the Bureau."