I learnt the hard way about Billy's family.

I'd gotten to the meeting place before anyone else, and I knew when Billy would turn up. He always turned up at the same time, like clockwork.

I'd placed a bit of ice right by the door, and was currently hiding up in the rafters. The building was quite old, but I was glad for the rafters. It gave me an excellent view of the action.

I lay on my front on the wooden beam, my eyes trained on the door, trying to stop the grin crossing my face. It was a fairly tame prank, but Billy had been acting so uptight lately that I wanted to just let him let off some steam.

The doors opened and I tensed, ready for a laugh. Except it wasn't Billy who walked out.

He looked like Billy sure, same blonde hair and same build, but he was dressed in a suit for a start. Billy never wore suits. Ever.

I couldn't see his face as he slipped on my ice, but I could instantly see that I'd just pranked the wrong person.

I shuffled back on the rafters, but the man's ears pricked up and he looked right up at me. He looked a lot like Billy, but was older, his blonde hair flecked with grey. I gave him a weak smile.

"Sorry, that was for, someone else." Given how this man looked, I decided that mentioning Billy was a bad idea.

"So, the famous Jacqueline Davies spends her free time hiding in the rafters and playing pranks on other people, does she?"

From that tone I decided that I didn't like him. He had the same accent as Billy, but clearly none of the fun.

Before I could respond the man shook his head. "I suppose it's to be expected, being a Descendant of Frost."

I frowned and scrambled up into a standing position. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The man looked a little surprised as he started walking across the room. "If you don't know, then I'm not going to be the one to tell you."

I was suddenly very tempted to throw a snowball at his head, instead I squashed it down, reverting to my demeanour when I was talking to the school bullies.

"Who are you? Why are you here?"

"He's my father."

I hadn't noticed Billy walk in, and jumped at the sound of his voice.

I turned to see him standing by the door, looking more uptight than I'd ever seen him.

"Honestly William, she didn't ask you." Said his dad, and my resolve shattered. He definitely deserved a snowball to the head.

"No, but I still answered." Said Billy, and I could hear the same repressed anger in his voice.

The tension in the room was so thick you could cut with a knife, and the three of us had only been standing here for two minutes.

"You didn't answer my other question. Why are you here?"

"If you must know." Said Osbourne senior, wrinkling his nose slightly. "I came to check on my son, to see if he's improved in his abilities at all."

I frowned, from what I'd managed to glean from the other four members of the Branch the Osbournes were a proud family, very concerned by perfection. Billy didn't seem anything like them though. Billy was relaxed, funny, a laugh, in training he didn't care if you messed up, as long as you didn't get injured and you knew where you went wrong.

"I don't need you to tell me anything." Growled Billy, "You just announced that you were coming over, as usual."

Osbourne senior's eyes seemed to narrow, and he flicked his hand. The wood I was standing on suddenly cracked and I fell through it with a yell of surprise.

My training with Jack kicked in and I formed a platform of ice to land on, about a metre off the ground.

Billy's father seemed surprised that I'd caught myself.

"Interesting. I assume you didn't teach her that technique William."

"So what if I didn't?!" Billy's nostrils were flaring as he glared at his father. "She could have gotten really hurt from you doing that!"

"Calm yourself William, that is not how a true Osbourne acts."

"Oh, and true Osbourne puts his friends in danger? She's a kid!"

"She's sixteen if I remember correctly. Certainly not a child."

I'd had enough at this point. "ENOUGH YOU TWO!"

Osbourne senior looked at me, completely shocked that anyone would dare say that to him. Billy on the other hand looked more surprised that it was me trying to call order.

"We're here for the meeting right? So let's just wait for the others to get here." I said calmly, the ice melting beneath me which allowed me to land on the floor. "Billy, will you help me get the chairs out please?"

My offer had done what I planned, and Billy looked relieved to be getting away from his dad. "Sure."

Before Osbourne senior could protest we'd disappeared into the walk in cupboard where we kept all of the equipment. I opened my mouth to say something Billy, but put his fingers to his lips in the half light, instead beckoning me deeper into the cupboard.

I nodded and followed, understanding. His dad could still hear us from there.

We got to where we needed to be and Billy let out a sigh of relief.

"Sorry about that Jackie. I'm just so uptight around him."

"He's lucky he didn't get a snowball to the head." I said, and Billy let out a chuckle.

"He'd have it coming to him, but he wouldn't appreciate it. I assume the ice patch outside was for me?"

I gave a sheepish grin. "Yeah, you've been so tense all week, I thought a mild prank would make you feel better."

Billy chuckled and shook his head. "I appreciate it kiddo, but you picked a bad day to set up a prank."

"Sorry."

"Don't worry about it kiddo."

Billy found some chairs and hefted about three of them up onto his shoulder.

"Better warn ya though. He isn't here just to check up on me."

I frowned in confusion.

"He's going to be taking the combat session later; he's brutal."

"Oh no."

"Yep."

"Any chance I could escape now?"

"Nope, he can control wood, part of his florakinesis." For some reason the last word came out bitter in Billy's mouth. "He'd just get the wood to catch ya."

"Sounds like that's from experience." I said, grabbing my own chairs.

Billy let a half mumble half growl. "Yeah, nearly everyone else in my family's done it to me at least once."

I stopped in place as everything clicked into place. Everyone in the Burgess Branch knew that Billy hadn't got geo or flora kinesis, just the enhanced agility and senses. We didn't care, Billy was Billy and we loved him no matter what. However, Billy did care. He didn't say it often, but over the past few years I'd gotten the impression that he was angry at the fact he couldn't do it. Now it made sense, if his whole family could do it except him, and if they were as bad as his dad...

I looked at Billy's retreating back, trying to work out if I should bring it up. It was clearly a touchy subject.

I shook my head, deciding against it. This was Billy's fight, not mine.

I followed him out with the chairs, mentally preparing for what promised to be hell later.

The others hadn't reacted well to Billy's father either. Sally just looked at him before greeting me, Tina barely even glanced at the man, instead giving Billy a sympathetic look, which was almost unheard of for those two.

Nigel greeted Osbourne senior politely, but definitely not warmly. None of us liked his attitude towards his son, clearly.

Once we got to the combat session, it was clear the others were dreading it, obviously having heard stories about his brutal training methods.

I thought Nigel and Billy were harsh teachers, but at least they didn't yell when you paused for a second to catch your breath. It seemed that in Osbourne senior's mind, if you weren't about to faint, then you could last until the next water break.

The Branch had been cold to Osbourne senior, and apparently the feeling was mutual. He kept on belittling our technique, and I was gritting my teeth, forcing myself to ignore him and keep working on the techniques. I so wanted to turn around and yell at him for being unreasonable, but I wasn't sure I had the breath for that.

When we were done I practically crawled to where I'd left my water bottle, too tired to walk properly.

"You saved all of HOG and ended the war." Said Osbourne senior as I took a swig from my bottle. "I find that difficult to believe. Are you sure that wasn't just made up to make your lot look better?"

Billy growled under his breath and I glared at Osbourne senior.

"You are asking to get frozen to the floor." I growled under my breath, which of course he heard.

"Then do it rather than just talking about it."

The whole room fell silent, charged with a tension I didn't quite understand, but I wanted nothing more than to do exactly that. Maybe even freeze him solid.

"It's not worth it." Tina hissed. "I thought you knew how to deal with people like this."

I did, normally I ignored them, but this man managed to push buttons I didn't realise could be pushed.

At school I got made fun of for being a loner, for not having any friends. I managed to block that out because I didn't care. What Osbourne senior was saying I did care about. He was belittling my friends and belittling my powers. He even insulted my heritage, I couldn't block that out.

Frost spread unchecked from my position, towards Osbourne senior. He just looked unfazed as the temperature dropped.

I got some control back, but instead of reining it in I made it spread faster, too tired right now to freeze him outright. However as the temperature dropped I felt stronger.

"Jackie, stop!" Commanded Nigel. "It's not worth the effort."

"Oh no. If the Descendant of Frost wants to, then she'll do it anyway, am I correct?"

This was territory I wasn't aware of. What was he talking about?

That didn't stop the frost spreading. Finally Billy stood up.

"BOTH OF YOU! STOP IT!"

I jumped in surprise and the frost retreated while Osbourne senior looked at his son in pure shock.

"William..." He started warningly, but Billy cut him off.

"No. You leave Jackie alone, she gets enough shit at school and you give me enough shit. You don't need to pass any on to her!"

I stared at Billy in shock, mainly because I'd never heard him swear.

"And Jackie, as much as I appreciate it, can you please not freeze him?"

I nodded and the frost retreated entirely. My water still frosted over when I grabbed it, but that was neither here nor there.

Osbourne senior on the other hand narrowed his gaze. "If this is how you talk to your father, I don't see why I bother with you."

"Believe me, I've asking the same question for years."

The two Descendants of Bunnymund glared at each other, until the senior walked towards the door. He left without a word.

Billy let out a long breath and sat down, Tina putting a supporting arm across his shoulders.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have acted like that." I said, not looking at Billy.

"Not your fault kiddo. I'm surprised it took ya that long to snap. He was being worse than usual."

"What was he even talking about?" I asked, looking up. The other four looked at each other with expressions I couldn't read.

"Don't worry about it." Said Nigel, a little hurriedly. "It's nothing."

I raised my eyebrows and shrugged, not bothered. I was still too tired to really care.

"So," Started Billy, standing up and putting a smile which I think everyone saw through, "Are we going to continue or what?"

Billy was standing to the side as we packed up, looking at the door. Nigel looked at the three of us and signalled for us to get the chairs away and he'd talk to Billy.

Tina urged us not to eavesdrop, which surprised me. However, it was Billy's business, and his family, despite what he father had said, what happened had clearly shaken him.

Once Nigel was done talking with Billy we went back out, trying to act like nothing had happened. It wasn't easy with Billy's obvious tear tracks though.

I took one look outside, and I had a plan.

I walked up to Billy and called him outside. He was confused as I led him out of town, until we reached the woods.

"We're not going where I think we're going?"

"Oh, we are. And if I've timed it right, we should have the King of Snowball fights waiting."

"Jackie, you can't be serious?"

"I am. You need cheering up. Come on."

Billy paused for a bit. "Jackie, ya sure about this? It wasn't your fault."

I looked back at him and shrugged. "I don't mind about your dad, I just know that you're upset and I know a snowball fight can fix that."

"In that case, you're on!"

This is the meeting between Jackie and David Osbourne that was mentioned in Black Sheep.

I know I portray Osbourne senior in a bad light here, but I see him as a bit more like Stoik from HTTYD. He does care about Billy, and does want him to be the best that he can be, but does it in a way that Billy can't relate to, causing a rift between them. Not to mention that as the family patriarch he's used to a bit more respect than he's getting from the Burgess Branch. Finally, what he was saying about the Descendants of Jack Frost, that was probably more brought out by frustration rather than actually believing what he's saying, but only he, you, the audience, and I, the all powerful writer, actually know this, not the rest of the cast, so it'll naturally leave a nasty taste in their mouths.
I also feel that while HOG can seem like one big family at times, not every family is perfect. They don't necessarily have to be a black sheep like Colin, just minor antagonisers. I'm fortunate enough to not come from a family with anyone like that, that I know of, but I know that they do exist.