To address the review from a guest (BAMBAM), I had attempted to put ½ for the chapter title but I guess the (/) isn't allowed so it became 12. My bad.
Pitch: As is your failure to update for who knows how long….
Kitkat: I'm sorry! Again!
Bunny: You better be.
Jack: Why isn't North here?
Tooth: He's been kidnapped, remember?
Jack: I would...if it hadn't been so long I don't remember what happened in the last chapter!
Kitkat: Yesh. Alright, alright. I'm writing.
North couldn't process what he was seeing. After heading up the stairs, he'd found the master bedroom. It was winter-themed, with a small Christmas tree set up in the corner. But that isn't wasn't what disturbed North.
No, it was the shrine. That's the only way to describe it. A shrine set up in the closet, the one that's doors had conveniently been left open. Picture after picture of...him. Glued to the doors and stuck all over a small white vanity. The mirror had a few pictures stuck to it too.
And they weren't even photos that North had posed for. Some were blurry, others not really in focus, and a few were obviously taken from a distance. Who knew how long Snowy- no, Raquelle had been stalking him?
The Russian only had enough time to spot a perfume bottle made of crystal glass and shaped in the form of a snowflake before he felt something very hard and most likely metallic hit his head before everything went back.
"Calm down, Phil!" Jack exclaimed. Telling the yetis and elves that North had been kidnapped right before Christmas wasn't exactly something Jack had been looking forward to. But he'd drawn the short straw. Literally. The Guardians made him pick a straw and of course, Jack had drawn it. "We'll get him back. We just need some extra help."
Phil considerably calmed down, though that might've had something to do with the fact that the Burgess kids had also been summoned and looked scared enough. Since they lived in Burgess, Tooth thought they might be able to help. That, and none of the Guardians wanted them to be by themselves when a crazy lady was on the loose.
All the kids really knew was that their parents didn't want them going by Raquelle's house because she "wasn't up for seeing anyone for a while". In the language of parents, that meant to steer clear because something is wrong with that woman.
"So what are we gonna do?" Jamie asked. Jack paused for a moment before a light bulb went off.
"Something that'll get North back. One that'll require me to drive the sleigh," Jack stated as he sent a wicked look of glee towards the height-fearing Pooka.
"It had to be North. Couldn't have been the kid," Bunny muttered as he looked up, almost as if he was waiting for Manny to intervene and save his life.
"Wakey-wakey, sleepyhead!"
North groaned as lights were flipped on, the brightness making his already painful headache even worse. As his eyes adjusted, he looked around. He found himself to be bound to a chair made of metal with what looked to be steel straps locked down on his arms and legs.
Though dimly lit, North managed to make out that he was in a basement of some kind, nothing but the chair, himself, and a woman that looked like Raquelle. Which meant she probably was.
She was tall and slender and stared at North with ice blue eyes that could (almost) put Jack's to shame. Her long red hair was tied into a bun with a long ponytail coming from it, just like in the video. Now that he could see her up close, North noticed that she wore light green eyeshadow, red lipstick that was a similar shade to his sleigh, and a very short red dress with light green spaghetti straps. Her jewelry consisted of silver stud earrings with an accompanying light green and red butterfly choker around her neck. Her red gloves with white fur on the wrists cut off at her shoulders, a similar length to her light green lingerie socks with red straps. For shoes, Raquelle had chosen to wear red high heel boots with light green laces and white fur on the top.
The one thing that stood out the most to North was the fact that every piece of her outfit were either Christmas colors or something that matched the clothes most mortals assumed he wore. You know, the red jacket, pants, and gloves with white trim, big black boots, and a typical Santa hat.
If North had met her before all the craziness, he would've realized just how obsessed this woman really was and would have put an end to it. Somehow.
"Hello, handsome. I'm so happy to finally meet you face-to-face. My name is Raquelle. Or as you call me…." Raquelle's cheeks blushed as she spoke, though she kept her cheery demeanor. "...Snowy…."
"Ah, yes. I figured as much. It is...a pleasure to meet you as well," North hated to lie, but if this woman was willing to go to such extremes to talk to him, odds were she wouldn't take rejection very well after all her hard work.
All he had to do was be nice and stall until his friends came for him. And he hoped very much that they were almost there.
"I know that this isn't ideal. But when you came by, I had to! Can't miss an opportunity like this. Unfortunately, your comrades were in the way so I had to move us to the basement. The door is hidden, so they left. Don't worry; I'll make sure they don't interrupt us."
North sighed. This was going to be a long day. Or was it even daytime? "May I ask what time it is?"
"Of course! It's nearly eight p.m."
"Ah. I see." North replied. "And how long will I be delighted with your company?"
"I'll return you before Christmas. I'm smarter than I look. After the Easter and Pitch incident, I know better than to mess with belief," Raquelle beamed with what was obviously pride, which made North feel a sense of unease. How much did this woman know about him?!
An awkward silence fell upon them, both of them avoiding eye contact. A soft thud from above broke the stillness as both sets of eyes glanced up toward the ceiling.
"I'll go see what it is."
With that, Raquelle walked over to the metal door that stood between North and freedom.
"Ya trying to kill us, Frost?!" Bunny shouted as Jack yanked on the reins, which caused them to come to an abrupt stop.
"Hey, I am a great driver!" Jack retorted. "Now come on. Phil and the others are waiting for us."
"How did they get here before us?" Tooth asked. Jack flashed a grin but said nothing. Bunny bit his tongue. He'd wait until later to yell at the boy for making them take the sleigh while the yetis just used some of North's Snowglobes.
The four remaining Guardians helped the Burgess kids out of the sleigh. They played a crucial part in Jack's plan. One that would either be epically awesome….or epically disastrous.
"You ready, Phil?" Jamie and his friends were excited. Sure, they were sad that North had been kidnapped. But being able to help their favorite Winter Spirit and the Guardians with an adventure made up for it. The yeti grunted in response.
The plan was simple. Okay, not really. The yetis and elves had set up all kinds of machines, some that roared, some that moved, and others that shot arrows (realistic but fake). Jack had waited until was night time for a reason. Raquelle wouldn't be able to see the machines or the elves and yetis. Jamie had said it was kind of like that trick Oz pulled in the movie Oz the Great and Powerful in the Poppy fields.
Jack had never seen the movie, but Jamie explained it to him. Glinda made it all foggy so that the bad guys couldn't see the "soldiers" were scarecrows or the red poppies that would put them to sleep.
And it was like that. The kids' job was to run around and laugh, making it appear as though an entire army was in the woods, waiting to attack.
The Guardians had different jobs though. Sandy's light would shine brightly in the dark, so he had to hide behind the sleigh, ready to knock out someone out with his dream sand. Tooth and her fairies were to stay in the sky and keep a lookout. Jack left a thin layer of ice on the steps leading up to the house and stood by the door so he could run into the house while Raquelle got scared out of her wits.
"Isn't this a bit much?" Bunny asked. Jack rolled his eyes. Maybe it was, but it was definitely going to be fun. That's what teen lived for. So why not go all out?
"Nah. Now get to work, Kangaroo," Jack shoved Bunny toward the sleigh. The older Guardian sighed in resignation before he untied the reindeer. Blitzen was the first to fly into the air, landing on the roof with a loud thud, quickly followed by his brethren.
"Be right back, darling," Raquelle cooed as she blew a kiss to North before shutting the door. North quickly got to work. Though he may have been out of practice, he was a bandit once. Like any good bandit, he knew how to pick a lock. However, there was one tiny detail he'd forgotten.
He couldn't move his hands. Luckily, he didn't need to. The door swung open to reveal a familiar face filled with mischief. "Need some help?"
"I am so glad to see you. How'd you find me?" North watched as Jack froze the restraints before slamming the end of his staff against them, breaking the now brittle metal. He rubbed his freed wrist before standing up, leaning on Jack for just a second to get the feeling back in his legs.
"We kind of figured that you were still here since neither of you left the house. Jamie did some research and found the blueprints of this place, including the basement. Come on. You don't want to miss this!" Jack grabbed the Russian's arm and dragged him upstairs and through the house.
Once they reached outside, North nearly doubled over in laughter. Raquelle was passed out, dreaming about snowflakes, and she had a bunch of arrows surrounding her. He went to take a step before Jack stopped him.
"I iced the steps," Jack explained. North shook his head as his friends, the yetis and elves, and the Burgess kids all gathered 'round.
"You are all on Nice list. But what shall we do with her?"
The next morning, police came by thanks to an anonymous phone call to Raquelle Watson's house. She was handcuffed to the stair's railings with a poster board set upright by her. No one in Burgess except for a few children ever knew the whole story behind the mysterious crime committed, not even the woman in custody (thanks to a little memory wipe courtesy of Tooth). Raquelle ended up confessing without any recollection just to get jail time over with.
The sign read the following: 'Wanted for harassment and kidnapping'. It was the only thing North could write without mentioning his identity. If he'd done that, no one would have taken it seriously.
AN: This came out more rushed than I wanted it to be. Sorry about that. Winter break is coming up so that'll help me finish this story and maybe post a new one. At this point, I may just have to think of some questions of my own for the hundredth chapter unless you guys have a better idea on how to end this fanfic. Review or PM to let me know!
Kitkat Out!