Time Flies

by Mystica

Santa Clause fic about Bernard! After being ordered out to locate Father Time's four children, Bernard learns that his Destiny is tied, not only to those four, but to all the Powers That Be.

4. Two Turtledoves

Time Flies

Author's Note:  And now it starts to get really interesting.  We meet the third of the quadruplets, who is entirely too blonde for everyone's good.  Also, Bernard's past is hinted at, and we get some revelations about why Ebony is the way she is.

Disclaimer:  The four original characters are mine.  All else is the property of Disney.  I've only borrowed the characters for my own amusement.  Specific quotes and so forth are cited at the end of the chapter.

Chapter 4 – Two Turtledoves

            "So Bernard," Scott said with a smile, "how's the Time project going?"

            It was Thanksgiving, and Scott and Carol had come to have dinner at the Millers' house.  Bernard, being there anyway, had also been invited.  The meal was now over, and – Carol having forbidden talk of work at the table – Santa and the Head Elf were getting their first chance to discuss Bernard's mission.

            "Well…"  Bernard considered.  "Overall, it could be worse.  I've already found two of them."

            "Already?"  Scott was surprised.  "That's pretty quick.  I might have you back sooner than I'd expected."

            "Maybe.  I suppose it depends on the next two," Bernard said with a shrug.  "And on whether I can put up with the two I've already found."

            "They can't be that bad," Scott protested, laughing.

            "Well, Dimitri's not," Bernard admitted.  "But Ebony – good Lord, the girl's impossible!  I spend half my time being shouted at."

            "Don't let him fool you, Dad," Charlie said with a grin, taking a seat beside his father.  "Bernard spends the other half of his time shouting right back."

            "Trying to uphold the honor of the North Pole," Bernard added quickly.

            Scott matched Charlie's grin.  "Sounds to me like you and this girl are getting along just fine," he said, not in the least sympathetic.  "Someone to argue with is exactly what you need, and the elves don't usually oblige you."

            Bernard ignored this.  "So the plan is still the same?  I bring them to the North Pole once I've got all of them together?"

            "It's that or Mother Nature's Atlantis," Scott agreed.  "And since you're from the North Pole anyway, it's easier for you to just go there."

            "I still don't see why Father Time couldn't have a homeland like everyone else," Charlie grumbled.  "It would make things easier."

            "Probably.  But where would it be?" Bernard pointed out.  "There's nowhere in the Workings of Time for someone to live."

            "Besides, Father Time likes sponging off Mother Nature," Scott said cheerfully.  "That's what siblings are for, right?"

            "Can I quote you on that to Lucy?" Charlie asked.

            "Sure, if you can get her to listen.  So anyway," Scott turned back to Bernard, "can you teleport them all to the North Pole at once?"

            "Definitely not," Bernard said firmly.  "I can jump them around New York without a problem, but I'll need help to get them to the North Pole.  I could probably manage two of them, if another teleporter came to take the other two.  Quentin, maybe.  He's good enough to carry people with him on that long a jump."

            Scott nodded.  "I'll let him know.  When do you think you should be ready to bring them back?"

            "You mean when will I find them?"  Bernard shook his head.  "Honestly, I have no idea.  But tomorrow, I'm spending the day with them again in the hopes that it will bring either Bianca or Sherwin out of hiding."

            "Doing anything in particular?" Scott wanted to know.  "Going to get thrown out of the mall, maybe?"

            Bernard favored Scott with a dirty look.  "That was entirely Ebony's fault," he said with dignity.

            "Not the way Charlie tells it," Scott said, grinning conspiratorially at his son.

            "Traitor."  Bernard glared at both of them.  "As a matter of fact, they're coming here.  Laura thought it would reassure them to see that being normal is still possible, even though they're related to a mythical figure."

            "So you're introducing them to Neil?"  Scott was horrified.  "I thought you wanted to calm them, not terrify them."

            "Very funny, Scott."  Laura sent him a Look as she, Carol, and Neil joined the other three.

            "And you remember what I told you," Carol added severely.  "Business is off-limits today."

            "That was just during dinner," Scott protested.  However, with Carol there to listen, the conversation drifted away from Bernard's mission and towards approved topics, such as whether or not Neil's gravy had been lumpy, and if anyone saved room for pie.

            "They're going to be late."  Neil looked up at the clock.  "It's five to seven, and neither of them is here yet."

            "They won't be late," Bernard snapped, irritable after two days of doing nothing.  Dimitri had insisted on going to visit his adopted family – the reason he'd thought he'd had for coming out to New York – and Ebony had said that if her brother got to play hooky, so did she.  She'd gone off somewhere with other art history students, without telling anyone where.  Bernard had had no choice but to allow them the time away from the compass.

            "They're Father Time's children," Charlie said helpfully.  "Bernard said earlier that means they'll be right on time."

            "Unless they decide not to show up after all."

            "Stop being so grouchy, Bernard," Charlie said sternly.  "They promised to be here."

            "Which means nothing," Bernard said.  "They could – "

            Ding-dong.

            Charlie smirked.  "You were saying?"  He went to answer the door, and returned with Ebony and Dimitri in tow.

            "We meet again."  Ebony quirked an ironic eyebrow at Bernard.  "Going to introduce us?"

            "If you let me talk."  Bernard glared at her.  "These are the Millers.  Charlie you've met.  This is Neil, and his wife, Laura.  The little girl is Lucy."  The family members in question waved or smiled as they were mentioned.  "These are Dimitri Terryn and Ebony Hiems."

            "It's very nice to meet you," Dimitri said politely.  "Thank you for letting us come here.  It really is reassuring to know that there can be normality in this kind of situation."

            "Only most of the time," Laura said with a smile.  "Sit down, please."  Ebony and Dimitri did so.  "Would you like something to drink?  Coffee, water, juice…"

            "Coffee would be great," Dimitri said.  "Black, please."

            "Coffee," Ebony added.  "Two sugars."

            "Right."  Laura left.

            "So."  Neil looked at Ebony – or more specifically, her hair.  "That's a very interesting hair color.  Is it natural?"

            Ebony gave him a look of disgust.  "Don't be stupid, of course not."

            "Well, you are part magical," Neil defended himself.  "And you don't normally see green hair."

            "Exactly."  Ebony smirked.  "If I'd dyed it blonde, or something else boring, what would we be talking about right now?"

            "Your hair as a conversation piece?"  Neil nodded thoughtfully.  "Interesting."

            "What do you mean, interesting?" Ebony demanded, alarmed.  "That sounded analytical."  Her eyes narrowed.  "You aren't from the government, are you?"

            "I'm a psychiatrist," Neil explained quickly.

            "And before you ask, he's not here to lock you up in a room with padded walls," Laura said, entering.  She'd dug out a tray from somewhere, and on it were seven cups.  "Three black coffees," Laura gave one to Dimitri, one to Neil, and one to Bernard "one double sugar," she passed Ebony hers, "one with cream," she set it on the coffee table in front of her own seat, "and two cocoas."  The last two cups were given to Charlie and Lucy, both of whom had been deemed too young for coffee.

            "Nice memory," Ebony said approvingly.

            Laura blinked, then simply accepted the compliment.  "Thank you."  She looked at Ebony and Dimitri.  "So do you two have any questions about living with magic?  Anything we'd be able to answer?"

            "Not really," Dimitri said, after a moment's consideration.  "I know there are a lot of things I'm curious about, but I doubt you could tell me about any of it."

            "We're here because Bernard couldn't bear to be separated from us," Ebony said sweetly.

            "Because you need to be near this compass so this whole problem can be resolved and I can go back to the North Pole where I belong," Bernard corrected sharply.

            "Then why don't you just give the compass to one of us?" Ebony asked, being deliberately argumentative.

            "Because Dimitri doesn't know enough to answer questions," Bernard told her.  "You, I don't trust at all."

            Ebony smiled mockingly.  "I'm flattered.  Because of course you know I trusted you unconditionally from the first."

            Dimitri and Charlie snorted with laughter.  Charlie half choked in an unsuccessful attempt to appear to be coughing, but Dimitri didn't bother trying to disguise it.  He'd judged his sister well – she was delighted to have provided them with amusement.

            Bernard was less than delighted, however, and he was about to make a sarcastic remark to that effect when –

            Ding-dong.

            Laura frowned.  "I wasn't expecting anyone else."  Nevertheless, she went to answer it.

            Bernard watched her go, an odd expression on his face.  "Why do I have the strangest premonition about who that will be?"

            Neil stared at Bernard.  "Did you – "

            He was cut off when Laura came back, followed by an extremely pretty girl with bouncy blonde curls.  Resignedly, Bernard pulled out his compass and checked it.  Sure enough, it registered that Bianca Sheiling was now in the room with them.

            "You'll be Bianca, then?"  Bernard stood to greet her.  "My name is Bernard.  You're probably wondering what made you come here – "

            "Oh, not at all," Bianca interrupted earnestly.  "I've been feeling the psychic vibes for days, but I wanted to wait to try to analyze them before doing anything about it."

            "Analyze them?" Bernard repeated blankly.  He was having trouble following this conversation.  According to what he knew about magic, she wasn't making any sense.  And she talked far too fast.

            "Oh, yes!"  Bianca smiled brightly.  "I've always just known things – amazing, really.  And I can figure things out if I think about them long enough.  Except it's awfully hard – thinking about them, I mean.  It takes so much concentration to figure out what things like those power vibes are.  Were you the one sending them out?"  She giggled.  "Did you want to draw me to you?"

            She giggles.  Wonderful.  Bernard tried to hide his disgust.  "I've been trying to locate you and your siblings.  You're a quadruplet, and your father sent me to find you, your two brothers, and your sister."

            "Really?"  Bianca bounced up and down on the soles of her feet.  "That's so cool!  You know, I've always felt this connection stretching out to other people in the world.  Those must be my siblings.  I've always wanted brothers and sisters, you know.  Are they those people there?"  She pointed at Ebony, Dimitri, and Charlie.

            "Why don't I introduce you?" Bernard broke in as she paused for breath.  "The woman who brought you in is Laura Miller.  That man is Neil Miller, her husband.  Lucy Miller is the little girl – excuse me, young lady," Bernard corrected himself at Lucy's indignant expression, "and the teenage boy is Charlie Calvin.  The other two are your siblings – Dimitri Terryn and Ebony Hiems."

            "Oh my God!"  Bianca rushed over to grab Ebony's and Dimitri's hands.  "We are so totally one in spirit, aren't we?  I can just see it in your eyes."  She leaned in close enough to kiss Dimitri, peering intently into his face.  Dimitri leaned back, trying to put some distance between them.  "We have a family resemblance," she announced, pleased.  "The same eyes – ever so blue.  Do you know, I've never ever seen anyone with eyes this color?"

            "You get them from your father," Bernard told her.  He looked over at Laura and Neil, both of whom looked very bewildered.  "I didn't know she was going to come here now.  I would have warned you if I had."

            "Didn't you know?" Bianca asked, before either of the Millers got a chance to answer.  "But I thought it was your spell.  It felt ever so powerful.  I don't think you could have done that without noticing."

            "It's a long story."  Bernard sighed.  Hadn't he just gone through this explanation?  "I bet Ebony and Dimitri would like it if you sat down, you know."

             Bianca waited for Bernard to sit on the couch beside Charlie, then squeezed herself in beside him, much to the elf's dismay.  "Is this better?"  She smiled prettily.

            Bernard grimaced, choosing not to answer that question.  "All right.  Now, what I'm going to tell you may sound strange, but it's true, and I can prove it."

            "Am I an alien being?" Bianca interrupted, sounding unduly excited about the prospect.  "Like Mork from Ork?"

            "Um."  Bernard blinked, then decided it was best not to ask.  "No, not really.  You are, however, partly magical."

            "Oh, is that all?"  Bianca pouted in disappointment.  "I already knew that.  I thought you were going to tell me something interesting."

            Bernard stared at her.  "There is no way you could possibly have known this."

            "Oh, yes, there is," Ebony said sourly.  "Weren't you listening?  She's 'in tune' with the 'psychic vibes.'"  Bernard could hear the quotation marks dropping into place.

            Bianca ignored the sarcasm – or maybe she just didn't notice it.  "Exactly!"  She beamed at her sister.  "Have you felt it, too?"

            Ebony glowered at the blonde girl.  "Not even once."

            "Oh.  You must be the un-psychic sibling."  Bianca nodded knowingly.  "I've read books about this!  Well… a book.  Actually, the book jacket.  But it was written by a doctor, and he must know what he was talking about.  He had all sorts of little letters after his name and everything."

            "That's not quite the standard for judging accuracy," Neil said, his voice a cross between appalled and amused.

            "But it was all written down!" Bianca objected.  "They wouldn't let him write that down if it wasn't true, would they?"  She turned to Bernard.  He leaned away.  "They wouldn't, would they?"

            "I don't know."  Bernard tried to casually inch away from Bianca and towards Charlie.  "Why don't we get back to the important part?  Bianca, you're the daughter of Father Time."

            Bianca nodded.  "Yeah, ok."

            Bernard frowned slightly.  "You do know who Father Time is, right?"

            "Of course.  He's the man everyone talks about on New Year's.  He becomes a little baby at the beginning of every year!" Bianca said happily.

            "Not exactly."  Bernard repressed a sigh.  This girl was getting to be extremely tiresome.  She was starting to remind him a little too much of certain female elves that – well, that he didn't really want to think about again.  Ever.  "He's the mythical presence who controls Time.  He does not change shape during the year, but he does look very old.  He lives with his sister, Mother Nature.  Once I've located your other brother, you and your siblings can meet your father."

            "All right."  Bianca smiled beguilingly.  "Will you come with us?"

            "Yes."  Bernard crept a little more towards Charlie.  "I'll have to take you there."

            "Oh, I'm glad."  Bianca giggled.  Again.  "A girl likes to have a big strong man around to protect her."  She began walking her fingers up his arm.

            Bernard stood up hastily.  "Laura, didn't you say you wanted help in the kitchen?"

            "What would I want help with?" Laura asked innocently.  She and Neil – damn them both – were trying to hide smiles.  Bernard couldn't see Dimitri's face, but judging by the way the young man's shoulders were shaking, he found the situation equally entertaining.  And the elf just refused to look at Ebony.

            "Sit back down," Bianca invited, with no embarrassment whatsoever.  "There's so much more I want you to tell me."

            "I – um – left something in the kitchen."  Bernard edged towards the door.  "I'll just… go get it… and then come back.  Later.  After I've found it."

            Bernard bolted through the door into the kitchen, and collapsed into one of the chairs at the table.  I want to go home, he thought, propping his head on his hands.  He missed the North Pole, with its silvery snow – none of this grey slushy muck – and its cheerful bustle.  And he most definitely missed the elf girls he worked with, who never, under any circumstances, tried to throw themselves at him.  He had made it clear centuries ago that he did not appreciate that kind of thing.

            It wasn't that Bianca wasn't pretty, because she was.  It was that he'd learned to be suspicious of the girls who worked to make themselves seem attractive and charming.  Bianca didn't seem to be concealing anything more dangerous than a slight tendency to be an airhead, but he still didn't want her that close to him.  Now, he would always shy away from the slightly artificial women like her.

            "Hey, Bernard?"  Charlie entered the kitchen.  "Are you ok?"

            "What?  Oh, yes, I'm fine."  Bernard looked hastily around.  "I was just looking for – "

            "Nah, it's ok, you don't have to pretend," Charlie interrupted.  "Everyone saw right through it, anyway."

            "Wonderful."  Bernard slouched down in the chair, trying to disappear into the floor.

            "Bianca didn't mind," Charlie said, apparently thinking this was what upset the elf.  "She tried to flirt with Neil, but he told her to stop.  Then she tried it with Dimitri."

            "Her brother?"  Bernard looked up in horror.

            Charlie shrugged.  "I think she's just playing.  Anyway, Mom said to tell you Ebony went out."

            "Out?"  Bernard rolled his eyes.  "She would.  Did she say anything about meeting up again?  There's still a fourth – "

            "No, no, that's not what I meant," Charlie cut him off.  "She went out to walk around.  She got mad at Bianca and called her some nasty names."

            "Oh, Lord."  Bernard stood up.  "I'd better go after her.  She and her sister can fight till kingdom come if they want to – but they'd better wait to do it until after I get them to their father."

            "Ok."  Some of the tension had gone out of Charlie's shoulders.  He'd been worried – for Ebony's sake?  Or because this might cause problems?  "She went down towards the park.  I'll let everyone know you're going after her."  He left the room.

            Bernard snorted softly as he let himself out through the back door.  "Stupid girl," he muttered.  "I think she causes trouble deliberately."

            Starting on the walk towards the park, Bernard pulled the compass out to consult it.  Yes, this was definitely the direction Ebony had taken.  He traced her to the park, dodging humans either strolling in the new-fallen snow or rushing to get somewhere before the sky got completely dark.

            Once in the park, Bernard assumed Ebony would be easy to spot.  Her hair should stand out vividly in any crowd, after all.  But he couldn't see her.  He glanced down at the compass again.  Yes, she was here… somewhere to his left…

            Then he saw her.  Ebony was leaning against a tree, looking out over a pond.  There weren't many people in that area – a sign nearby proclaimed the pond unsafe for skating until a deep freeze – and her dark outfit blended with the tree trunk.  In that moment she was still, solitary, a figure outside of the world of mortals.  The deep green of her hair lent a dreamlike touch of the otherworldly to the scene, rather than jarring her back from the days when tree nymphs stood even as she did then.

            He meant to speak, to call her out of whatever visions entranced her, after just one more moment.  Time passed.  He never spoke.

            Then a soccer ball blasted past her to crash into the edge of the pond with a violent shattering of the thin layer of ice formed with winter's first chills.

            A boy, about Charlie's age, ran after it.  "Sorry, you guys," he called to Ebony and Bernard.  "Hope that didn't splash you."  He grabbed his ball and was gone.

            The moment went with him.  Ebony had noticed Bernard.  She stared at him, eyes dark and unreadable, until the boy was out of earshot.

            "How long have you been standing there?"

            Bernard heard the danger in her voice, the angry trembling of the one whose sanctuary has been violated.  "Not long," he said quickly.

            "Seven minutes and forty-two seconds," she said flatly.  "That's a pretty long time.  What were you looking at?"

            "The lake?" Bernard tried.  He didn't expect it to work, though.  Not on a half-magical being.

            "Liar!"  Ebony glared at him passionately.  "How dare you follow me?  How dare you stare at me?  You have no right – you unfeeling – you monstrous – "

            "That is definitely taking this too far," Bernard snapped.  "You looked like you didn't want to be interrupted.  So I didn't."

            "I'd rather be interrupted than stared at!" Ebony snarled.  "If you want someone to gawk at, I bet Miss Desperate Flirt would be more than happy to oblige!"

            "You can't call her that," Bernard said, trying to be reasonable.

            "Oh, can't I?" Ebony flared.  "I can say a lot worse things about her – I already did!  And you would have heard them, too, if you hadn't been off in the kitchen mooning over her."

            "What?"  Bernard shook his head, taken aback.  "What are you talking about?"

            "Don't pretend you don't know," Ebony said angrily.  "I've seen it before – all the time!  You didn't want those friends of yours to see how flustered she made you, so you ran away.  You really are just a typical male – any pretty face – "

            "Shut up."  Bernard had gone stiff with chilly rage.  "You – you human girl, you have no idea what you're saying.  Do not pass judgments on me.  How dare you presume to claim that you know anything about me?  I have lived longer than you have dreamed possible, and you can no more know the reasons for what I do than you can know why that tree behind you grows and dies.  Do not try to tell me why I act as I do."

            The anger had drained out of Ebony, as if by taking hold of Bernard the heat of the argument had lost its grip on her.  She opened her mouth, as if to speak, but she found she had no words to offer.  She stepped forward.

            Bernard pulled back, and turned away.  He didn't want her near him.  She'd reminded him of memories he'd tried very hard to forget, memories that Bianca had brought back to him with her charm and her flirtations.  She had made the old, ill-healed wound ache all over again.

            "Wait."

            There was a tone in Ebony's voice that Bernard hadn't heard there before.  From the awkwardness with which she used it, he got the impression she wasn't used to speaking this way.  He waited.

            "Bernard – "  Ebony took a deep breath.  "I'm sorry.  I shouldn't have said that.  I – I get angry, sometimes, and I don't think about what I say.  Please don't go away mad."

            "What do you care about how I feel?" Bernard asked coldly.  "Don't delude yourself, Miss Hiems.  We are not friends.  I'm here because I'm under orders, and the only reason I am tolerating your presence is you can get me out of this world that much faster."

            Ebony jerked back, hurt showing in her eyes.  "You know, I really thought you were different," she said quietly.  "I thought you understood.  But you're just like they were – you don't care about anything but yourself."

            "Fine words coming from you," Bernard replied, his own memories making his voice quite unsympathetic to her.

            Ebony stared at him, wounded.  "How can you say that?"  Her voice shook a little, despite her obvious effort to steady it.  "Do you think I would shout and argue with you if I didn't like you?  Why do you think you upset me so much?"

            But Bernard shook his head firmly.  "Oh, no.  You don't get to try that.  Not after the things you called me.  If you call all of your friends monsters, I'm not surprised that you don't seem to have many of them."

            "I have plenty of friends!" Ebony snapped.  "They just happen to be visiting family over the holiday.  And they all understand about when I yell at them."

            "Good for them."  Bernard was in no mood to soften.  "Yelling is one thing.  Arguing is one thing.  But when you say words with the intention to hurt, and hurt deeply, you have to – "

            "When did I do that?"  Ebony didn't give him a chance to finish, in her indignation.  "I admittedly said some nasty things, but they were thoughtless.  You're the one who was calculatedly cruel."

            That shot hit home.  Bernard flinched.  He had chosen his language with the deliberate intent of causing as much harm as possible.  But still…

            "Thoughtless or not, you were still commenting on what was none of your business," he told her.  "And I stand by what I said – you don't know me, and you have no right to judge me."

            "So that's it, then?"  Ebony's voice was sharp with disbelief.  "I have 'no right' to judge you, so it's ok to let a girl not nearly good enough for you hang all over you?"

            Bernard paused, blinking.  "You keep coming back to that."

            "Forget it."  Ebony shook her head.  "It doesn't matter."

            But Bernard had already been hit by a realization.  "Are you jealous?"

            "No!"  Ebony glared at him.

            "You are!" Bernard said, too astonished to remember to yell.  "Is that why you insulted your sister and stormed out here?  You got mad that she was flirting with me?"

            "Why should I care what you do?" Ebony asked, drawing herself up haughtily.  "You're rude, and malicious, and she probably isn't even a natural blonde!"

            "What?"  Bernard stared at her, bewildered in spite of himself.

            "She just looks like the sort of girl who would dye her hair blonde," Ebony said impatiently.  "And those curls are far too bouncy – it would take her at least half an hour every day to get that effect."

            "Because of course your hair is completely natural," Bernard said sarcastically.

            "My hair is different."  Ebony shook her hair back irritably.  "So is green."

            "Because it's on your head," Bernard accused.

            "What other reason is there?" Ebony asked with a harsh smirk.  "At least there's something in my head for my hair to cover."

            Bernard laughed mockingly.  "I don't believe this.  You fight with me for every minute of the time we've known each other, then the moment I meet a female, you can't control your jealousy."

            "I am perfectly able to control myself," Ebony said icily.  "Unlike the ditzy space cadet back there, I do not feel the need to display my feelings in front of the entire world."

            "Unless you translate 'displaying your feeling' as fighting with me," Bernard pointed out nastily.  "In your own way, you're as bad as she is."

            Ebony gasped, mortified.  "I'm not!"

            "You are."  Bernard perfectly mimicked her own smirk back at her.  "What would you call the way you treat me?  I've got your measure now, Ebony Hiems – you've been flirting just as obviously.  Well, I'm terribly sorry to break it to you and all, but – "

            Ebony cut him off.  Of course, she'd been doing that since she'd met him.  That wasn't anything different.

            The different part was that this time, she'd interrupted him by kissing him.

            It wasn't a long kiss, but it was intense.  Ebony kissed like she fought – with all the fire and passion of the emotions roiling within her, giving it everything she had, leaving nothing out.  Her rage, her humiliation, she took everything out on him, her lips almost antagonistically fierce against his.

            It was over before Bernard fully grasped what was happening.  Ebony pulled away, breathing hard, but her eyes remained challengingly on his.

            Bernard had no response to that challenge.  He hadn't expected her to do that.  If he'd thought she would actually kiss him, he certainly wouldn't have taunted her the way he had.  No one had kissed him since – since a very long time ago.  He hadn't expected a girl to kiss him ever again.

            "I hope you don't expect some sort of apology," Ebony said at last, "because you aren't getting one."

            "Oh – no."  Bernard shook himself out of his daze.  "No, you don't need to apologize.  I mean – you shouldn't have – you didn't need to – "

            "Of course I didn't need to kiss you," Ebony interrupted scornfully.  "I wanted to.  Have you quite understood that?  Because I don't think I can say it in simpler terms."

            She had wanted to kiss him.  It was a frightening thought.  He'd heard words like that once before… though the situation had been somewhat different…

            "Oh, don't be silly, Bernard."  She giggled, a laugh that could shatter diamonds.  "You Northern elves are so shy.  Why would I ask you to kiss me if I don't want you to?"

            "I don't know… I'm not ready for this…"

            "You gallant darling."  She smiled, with enough charm to launch the standard number of ships, and a few fleets of reinforcements in case the first thousand wasn't enough.  "Go ahead.  Really.  I want you to kiss me."

            "Bernard?  Bernard, are you listening?  Are you angry?"

            As he returned abruptly to the present, Bernard realized that Ebony sounded unduly anxious, when compared to the confident and unruffled exterior she'd been trying to present.

            "I am now."  He shook his head slightly.  "I just – had some bad memories."

            It could have been interpreted the wrong way, to be insulting, but the daughter of Father Time understood what he meant.  "You're on the rebound."  She exhaled sharply.  "I've just totally made a fool of myself, haven't I?"

            "No, no," Bernard assured her, then promptly blushed at his hastiness.  "I mean – it was a while ago, but being with Bianca – I mean, listening to her, and the way she acts – not that there's anything wrong with her, but I just – "  He stopped.  "This isn't coming out right."

            Ebony smiled slightly.  "It's ok.  I think I understand."  Her smile turned ironic.  "And here's the part where I eat my words.  I guess I'm sorry – "

            "No, please," Bernard cut her off.  "I meant it about not apologizing.  At least, not for kissing me."

            "Typical male."  This time, Ebony said the words without the spite she'd packed into them the first time.  "You don't mind that, even though it was dreadfully rude, yet you take offense at my innocent remarks."

            "When could I have done that?" Bernard scoffed.  "You haven't made any."

            Ebony laughed – not a giggle, silly and superficial, but a real laugh, full and warm.  "I suppose you think you're amusing."

            "You seem to agree," he pointed out.  "And you were no ruder than I was."

            "An admission of your guilt?"  Ebony raised an eyebrow.  "Or an exoneration of mine?"

            "Both, if you like," Bernard said.  "Pick whichever you want.  They're the same thing."

            "They aren't," Ebony contradicted.  "I think I rather like the one where we're both guilty."

            "Oh?" Bernard asked, his tone encouraging further explanation.

            "Because in that one, you've said it was your fault as well," Ebony said.  "I'd like to think that kissing is a two-way experience, though from your response I'd never be able to tell."

            Bernard turned bright red.  "You hardly gave me a chance," he objected, blushing furiously.

            Ebony smiled sweetly.  "Would you like one?"

            "Would I – "  Bernard stopped.  "Oh."

            When he didn't tell her no, Ebony put her arms on his shoulders, stepping close.  Hesitantly, Bernard held her to him.  She lifted her head, waiting, lips slightly parted.

            Feeling exceedingly self-conscious, Bernard leaned forward to place his mouth on hers.  He felt her lips curve into a pleased smile, before she made the kiss the two-way experience she'd requested.

            "You should probably let the pair of them have some privacy."

            Father Time waved a hand, and the image of Bernard and Ebony faded away.  Mother Nature watched him as he gazed at the place it had occupied, a troubled expression on his face.

            "Is this a bad thing?" she asked finally, when it became clear that her brother was too deep in thought to remember to explain things to her.  "The pair of them, I mean.  Considering what you – well, what you know."

            Father Time shook his head slowly.  "I don't know."

            Mother Nature looked over at him, surprised.  "Isn't it already fated?"

            "Perhaps."  Father Time shrugged.  "Perhaps not."

            "And you haven't looked?" his sister persisted disbelievingly.

            "No," Father Time said firmly.  "And I won't.  There are some things too important to learn through my Workings.  Besides," he smiled slightly, in much the same way Ebony often did, "Destiny changes if you know too much about it.  Or didn't you know?"

Author's Note:  Oh, how very exciting.  There is now an actual Plot.  Or at least the seed of one.  The plot should become clearer within the next couple chapters.  Particularly the parts about Bernard's past love life.  All the mysterious hints he's been giving will be explained, I promise.  Also, the required explanation about why Bernard looks older than the other elves is fast approaching.

Added Disclaimer: where various quotes came from.

"Mork from Ork" –Mork and Mindy

"I've read books about this!  Well… a book.  Actually, the book jacket." – My Crazy Cousin Courtney

"They wouldn't let him write that down if it wasn't true, would they?" – The Truth, Terry Pratchett

If I've quoted anything else that isn't mentioned either here or at the beginning, the lack of citation was entirely unintentional.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed!:

Kitty the drunken butterfly – Yes, Ebony's a lot like me, too.  Especially that hidden silly side.

CrystalHorse72 – Dimitri is definitely going to be working at the role of peacemaker in this family.  Do they seem dysfunctional yet?  Just a little?  Also, I was wondering – who exactly is Alenya?  Your muse?

Jesus-freak – Well, this would be the answer to the "romance" comment.  Though all I actually meant at the time was that I'd put the fic in the romance category.  And I'm glad you like Grouchy!Bernard.

Safire Ranmako – Thanks!  I do aim for the insanity thing – it's nice to know I managed. ^_^

Tera Earth – Well, Ebony and Bernard have found a few things they agree on… however, they probably won't stop fighting just because of one kiss.

Zhai'helleva!

 - Mystica